Star Flight Adventures
by Co-lord44
Summary: Continuing where the seven and members of Star Flight took off, the next part of the story takes off. It will jump back and forth between time and other characters. From ones that Fara and her friends left, to others, pasts of characters will be revealed. But the most shocking and interesting will be Nicholas's as his past will come back to haunt all.
1. Chapter 1

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 1: A New Story

Author's notes: This begins right at the moment where the first part left off. Because of the language, some situations, and violence that will be happing, this story will have an M rating. Sometimes it might have an MA rating. I know that I said before that there would be two parts. This story and the one that came before it together make the first part.

X

The mother ship of Star Flight quickly made it into space. The seven all gasped as they saw the scenery outside the window. They had never been off of Corneria before.

"Do you like what you see?" asked Nicholas with a grin. "This is basically our main playground." The ship came to a stop and began to slowly orbit the planet.

"Now we can get down to business," said the vulpine as he got up from the control panel. He and the rest of the original members were in their attire that they had worn on Career Day. Nicholas explained that it was like their official uniforms to the seven during takeoff. Everyone who had gotten something to wear on Christmas was also wearing those objects.

"The real training will begin tomorrow. For now, we'll get you seven registered into the ship's system. It takes a day, so until that's done you can do whatever you want. Your first stop is at the medical lab. Then, you need to head to your rooms and set up the security. If you need help with that, the rest of us will assist you. Then head to Katt's room, and then down to the door that leads to the hanger bay."

"I'll meet you at the hanger latter," Nicholas concluded. "There are a couple of things I need to do." He waved his paw, singling that the others were free to go.

X

When the door to the room closed, Nicholas turned back to the control panel. "Computer," he said. The monitor came to life.

"Welcome back, Nicholas," said an electronic female voice. "How may I help?"

"I need you to find where the Star Fox team is at."

A map of the Lylat System came on. "Team found," said the female voice. "Current location at the planet Macbeth."

When Nicholas had first come to the system, he had heard about this team from another one. He had immediately sent out probing droids to find them. When they had, they had stuck on them, and followed the team where ever they went. Nicholas had done this because he had a strong gut feeling that it was not time for the two teams to meet. Even though he was sure that Star Flight had heard of them by now, it was best to avoid each other.

Whenever his team got jobs, he made sure that Star Fox was nowhere near them. If a job came in, and Fox and his crew were already in the area, Nicholas let the person know that Star Fox was there already, and could help them.

Katt and Bill didn't care either way if they ran into Star Fox. They also had a feeling that sometime in the future that they would meet them again. Lucy was content with making video calls to Peppy.

"Computer, can you tell me what Star Fox is doing now?"

"They are currently working and won't leave the plant for five months," said the female voice.

"Good," said Nicholas. "That will give us time to leave Corneria. Now make a call. I need to talk with a friend."

X

Meanwhile, Wolf of Star Wolf was sitting in his base when a lizard knocked on his door.

"Enter," he said. The lizard came in looking extremely nervous.

"You've got a call from a Nicholas McCoy," he said.

"Well well," said Wolf with a chuckle. "About time he called. Alert the other members."

A few minutes later, Wolf, Leon, Pigma, and Andrew were looking into their view screens to see Nicholas.

"It's been a bit since we last talk," said Nicholas. "I trust you're doing well." He took a look at each of them. Wolf out of the four was the one Nicholas liked best. Leon, despite the fact that he was a cold hearted chameleon, had skill that could be useful. As for Andrew, Nicholas figured that his Uncle's death might make Andrew seek revenge. Finally, Nicholas thought that Pigma was someone you couldn't trust. The pig was a shady, greedy guy. Nicholas had a feeling that Pigma would end up in a situation that would lead to his death because of those two traits.

"We are; you look good yourself," said Wolf. "After all, we need to be to pay you back for your help."

The five species went silent as they thought back to when they met.

X

_One year ago…._

"We've finally made it!" said Cody.

"This is going to be fun," said Ben.

Nicholas just looked out the window of the main control and briefing room. He had heard of the Lylat System, but had never been to it. He wondered if maybe this adventure could help him.

"Nicholas!" shouted Jazz. "We've got a skirmish dead ahead!" The others looked out the window to see a dog fight going on. Suddenly the monitor came on. A picture of a wolf with an eye patch covering his left eye appeared. The picture of the lupine was crackling and at times went out of focus.

"If there's anyone nearby, get over here!" he shouted. "Repeat if…" the picture crackled and his voice was lost."…Get over here!" The screen then went black.

"Team Star Flight; let's move out!" said Nicholas. "Sounds like they need our help!"

X

Outside in space, Wolf O'Donnell was cursing inside his head. He had seen that mother ship approaching and was wondering if they were going to respond. He didn't want to go down yet.

Star Wolf had been traveling in the Meteo Asteroid Belt of the Lylat System trying to find a place to set up a base. Then they ran into a group of space pirates. It quickly had turned into a fight. But the thing that Wolf couldn't understand was how the hell these guys were so good. They were just as good as his rival Fox and his team.

Wolf still remembered the bitter feeling of defeat during the Lylat Wars on Venom's back door where they had their last fight with Star Fox. Somehow he and his team managed to survive. Only to learn that Andross had been killed by Fox. Now Star Wolf was trying to find a permanent place to live. They certainly couldn't go to Corneria; not if they wanted to reveal themselves. Besides, it was better to stay hidden for now.

Right now, each of the members was being chased by another fighter. Each one was being piloted by a trashy looking rat. "_These pirate scum are turning out to be a handful,_" thought Wolf. Suddenly a laser shot clipped the wing of his Wolfen. The ships that his team owned were in bad shape. Wolf then had to admit it that they needed help; even though he rather not ask for it. When he saw that mother ship coming he had sent an SOS.

Suddenly, the ship behind him exploded. Wolf looked behind him and saw three ships headed towards the fight. He let out a laugh; help had arrived. A face of a vulpine with glasses and long yellow hair came onto his screen.

"Sounds like you could use some help," he said. With these new fighters, the pirates were vanquished. When it was over, Star Wolf was taking to the main mother ship.

X

A bit latter, Star Wolf and this new team, including the robots were in the dining area talking. Introductions were quickly made. Nicholas took a look at Wolf. Although he looked like bad news, Nicholas could see other good qualities about him. He had a feeling that in the future, Star Wolf would play a vital role more than once.

After that, Star Wolf talked about what had been happening as of late. They told Star Flight about Andross, Andrew's connection with him, the death of James McCloud, and everything that happened during the Lylat Wars.

"You don't seem shocked about us," said Wolf when the explanations were done.

"It doesn't matter to me," said Nicholas. "After all, this Andross is dead. You can't take orders from him anymore. What you did before is in the past."

They then learned a little about Star Flight; that they came from another system and how they had been trained. They didn't tell Star Wolf the stuff that Nicholas would eventually tell Fara, simply because they felt that it should be kept a secret.

"Interesting," said Wolf. "You must have skills if you could take those pirates out."

Star Wolf then stayed with Star Flight for four days while their ships were repaired. They then left. But not before Nicholas and Wolf decided to stay in contact with each other. They agreed that if one team was in trouble, and the other was in the area, they would help. Nicholas also said that if Star Flight encountered Star Fox, that they would be left alone. After all, Wolf still had a score to settle with them.

When Star Wolf left, Nicholas sent out the probes to find Star Fox. Then his team found Katt near Zones, and she joined them. The rest of the members came one by one, and the next Star Flight team had been formed. They spent the rest of the year taking out the rest of the Venom army that had survived the war, and other space pirates.

Nicholas, Cody, Ben, and the robots never told the other members about Star Wolf, or what they had decided to do with Star Fox. All because Nicholas stated that now wasn't the time to meet.

X

_Back in the present…._

"So what have you been up to?" asked Nicholas. He learned that the team was thinking of setting up a base in the Asteroid Belt as a safe haven for outlaws. Nicholas promised that his team wouldn't interfere with it. After all, that's what allies did. He then went on to explain that he had managed to find seven more members. He didn't show pictures because he felt that they shouldn't be revealed to Star Wolf yet. Besides, nobody on that team was interested.

The conversation came to an end, and Nicholas turned off the screen. Now he had to get to the hanger bay.

Author's notes: I know that I said that Star Wolf wouldn't be making an appearance until the second part, but this happened to be a flash back. So it's not their official appearance yet. I think this story is off to a good start. I can't wait for you to read what I've got planed. One final note; I got the idea of the title from the first Star Fox game that came out on the Game Cube.

-Co-lord 44


	2. Chapter 2

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 2: Training Begins

Meanwhile, the seven had managed to get to the medical lab. Jazz, the team's medic was already there waiting for them.

"So what now?" asked Fara to Jazz.

"You will each come up one at a time, so that I can prick one of your fingers. We need blood samples to get your medical information." He had seven clean needles and seven test tubes. One by one, the girls came up to him. He took one of the needles and pricked their right index finger. With gentle hands, he would squeeze the wound so that a few drops of blood went into the test tube. Then he would place a band aid on the wound.

"That's the last one," said Jazz after Yuki was done. "I'll put these into the computer system. Now head to your rooms." He waved a hand to show the seven that they were free to go.

The girls did as they were told. With the other members help they got their paws scanned and the four digit code entered. They were told to get unpacked latter. The seven then went to Katt's room.

"Welcome!" she said after she answered the door. Fara and her friends walked in, and their eyebrows went up. Besides a bed, a closet, and a dresser, the room was filled with stuff you would find in a beauty salon. There was a barber chair, a table for nail work, and all kinds of other things.

"What is this?" asked Fay.

"This is the beauty salon of Star Flight," said Katt. "This is where special grooming for the team takes place. What do you think?"

"Wow," said Luna. "This is amazing. Who does the process?"

"I do," said the feline. "Before I became a mercenary, I was learning beauty techniques. Then while traveling, I was attacked by a patrol squadron from Venom. This made me want to stop Andross at all costs. Eventually, I stole an Invader III prototype from his army and made it into my own ship. Then during the Lylat War, I helped the Star Fox team with some of their battles. After that, Nicholas found me, and I joined his team."

"I still remember the techniques that I was learning. It was me who braided Nicholas's hair for the dances. So I know something about that. I would image that it would help you, Luna."

After leaving, the seven along with Katt made their way downstairs. Dash and Nicholas were waiting for them by the hanger bay door. Fara and her friends still found Dash's height at 6 foot 5 inches to be staggering. He seemed to tower over Nicholas who was only 5'7.

"Are you seven ready?' asked Nicholas. "The rest are on the inside." He entered another four digit code on the control panel next to the door. It opened with a hiss. He led them inside.

The hanger bay was huge. It held the fighters of the team including seven extra ones. They were four tanks as seen in the video during the graduation ceremony, and two subs. The subs looked like the Blue-Marine used by Star Fox, only the colors were green and white. The tanks looked like the Landmaster used by Star Fox with the colors being green and white. Each vehicle had the Star Flight symbol somewhere on the body. But the tanks on the Star Flight team looked more like what the Landmaster on the Star Fox team would eventually become.

"What do you think?" asked Nicholas. The seven just stared at everything. "You'll learn how to pilot the vehicles later. The main reason why your here is to get your outfits. We can't have you in the clothes you're wearing now. However, any jewelry, boots, or coats should work. When you've selected which one, take the sets of the outfit that you've chosen up to your room and change into one of them."

"Wait a second," said Fay. "Were are the cars you guys had? I don't see them." The other six also noticed that those vehicles were gone.

"Those were only rental ones," the vulpine explained. "We knew that at the end of the year that we wouldn't need them anymore. So we gave back to the dealers."

He went to a section of the bay and pressed a button. Clothing tubes came out of the wall, each tube having a different outfit complete with some kind of shoes. As they were coming out, the robots of the team entered the bay and took their places next to Bill and Dash.

"Now then, let's let our new mechanic go first," said Nicholas. "Those outfits there should work." He pointed to some of the tubes. "They're meant to get dirty and are easy to wash."

Fay ended up choosing one that had a red vest that was worn over a rugged tan dress that went below her knees. A belt to hold all the mechanic tools she would need came with the outfit to go around the collie's waist. And the shoes were brown work boots. She held up the clothes to her body for everyone to see. In an instant, she and the team knew this was the outfit for her.

Yuki then chose a suit with the exact same colors as Dash. Nami selected an outfit similar to Cody's except that the shirt was colored silver. Lucy decided on a yellow space suit that had short sleeves. The suit came with white gloves, and the neck portion was red.

When Lucy was finished, Nicholas turned to Miyu. "I think the coat Katt gave you will work perfectly for whatever you decided on." Miyu chose an outfit that had a red tank top for the upper body. There were white gloves for her paws, and green pants with a regular belt colored black. The shoes were grey boots with yellow markings on them.

"Now it's your turn, Luna," Nicholas said to the she wolf. Luna selected one that had a chest plate with shoulder pads. Under that went a cerulean blue short sleeved shirt. The shirt left her stomach exposed. The gloves were grey and went up to her elbows. Her pants were also cerulean blue, and the boots where light grey.

Fara just watched as Luna selected her outfit. She couldn't help but feel jealous that Luna seemed to look good in just about everything.

"Okay, you're up Fara," said Nicholas. The vixen chose an outfit that came with a white vest. Beneath that there was a purple short sleeved shirt that left the stomach exposed. Grey fingerless gloves came with it, along with green pants, a regular belt colored black, and light grey boots.

"That's the end of that," said Nicholas. The team walked out of the hanger bay, and the seven got changed into their outfits in their rooms. When they came out to show the other members, the five males, three robots, and two females all made nice comments.

The seven were then told to go do whatever they wanted. But they were expected to get up at 8:00 in the morning tomorrow.

X

The next day, Fara woke up to the sound of her alarm clock that she'd brought with her. She had gone to bed early so that she could get enough sleep. After changing into her new cloths, she made her way downstairs with the rest of the members. Nicholas and the robots were already up, with breakfast laid out for them.

"Good morning," he said politely to them as they entered. Everyone was silent as they ate. When the meal was done, the robots cleared the table.

"Now let's head to the combat room to begin," said Nicholas. Everyone went upstairs to that area. The room had been changed. There were now seven shooting ranges set up with targets at the end. Just square shaped ones with a circle in the middle. At the front of each range was a blaster.

"The first thing you seven have to learn is how to handle a blaster," said Nicholas. He picked up one. "This is the perfect one for beginners. Light weight and easy to use. Before we begin, we need to go over a couple of rules. First, make sure that when firing, everyone is out of your way. Second, only when everyone has stopped firing can you go to your targets to see how you did."

"These blasters only have ten shots, which is less than the average one. That's how many you have before having to reload. Notice how each blaster has a little rising notch on it. That's to help you aim." He then demonstrated how to turn off the safety lock on the weapon.

A bit latter, each of the girls was at one of the ranges. "Remember, these are only targets; not actual species," said Nicholas. "If that doesn't help, just image a robot coming in. And take your time; this isn't a race. We just need to get your aiming down. Then you can focus on speed."

Fara held the blaster. Up till now she'd seen them but never handled one. After turning the safety lock off, the vixen looked at the target that she was suppose to be shooting at, and raised the weapon. She wondered if she could do this.

Suddenly a shot from Nami's blaster distracted Fara. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She looked through the notch on her weapon and took aim. She let out a breath and fired. There was a tiny bit of a recall, but nothing that Fara couldn't handle. Somehow the firing of the blaster seemed to change Fara. She was getting a feeling of excitement.

When the last of the shots were done, everyone took a look. Some of the girl's shots had missed the targets. But a lot of them had managed to make a mark. There weren't any bull's eyes, but it still made them happy.

"Not bad," said Nicholas as he took a look. "Keep this up, and you'll do great. But with a lot of practice." He then showed the seven how to reload the weapons. Then new targets were put up.

X

By the time lunch came around, Fara felt that she had made some progress. During her last shooting, she had managed to get all the shots somewhere on the target. She even had a shot close to the bull's eye.

"Now put the weapons down. We'll continue tomorrow," said Nicholas. They made their way down to the dining area and ate. The group then split with the other members heading to a different area, and with Nicholas taking the seven up to the main control and briefing room when lunch was done. It was there that Nicholas told the remaining six everything he had told Fara about his ancestors, himself, his powers, and his home planet. Even though Fara had heard this, she wanted to hear it from the vulpine again. Nicholas didn't show the remaining six the techniques he had shown Fara. The main control and briefing room wasn't the best area to demonstrate. But he did show them his Cerinian weapons.

When he was done putting them away, the other six looked at him in silence. "That's a lot to take in," said Yuki,

"I know," said Nicholas. "But there's more. There are two more powers that me and my people posses that falls under the mind reading category. The first is that we can sense full blooded Cerinians and part ones anywhere. They could be in a whole other system, and I could still sense them." He closed his eyes.

"Right now, I'm sensing that my family is on Eladard," the vulpine replied. "Lucas is in school, and my parents are at work."

"The final one is that we full and part Cerinians can sense the developing young of our people. You see, when the Cerinian male or female is growing inside the womb, they send out mental signals that we can pick up. It takes about two to three weeks after conception before the signals start to go out. But we can't sense what the gender is. It applies to part or full blooded Cerinians."

"Wow," said Fay. "That's pretty amazing. Can you sense developing young of non Cerinians?"

"We can't," said the vulpine. "Those developing young don't send out signals that we can pick up."

Luna was just sitting in silence and listening. When Nicholas had first mentioned Krystal, she felt the same as Fara had when the vixen learned about her. But when the she wolf heard that the vulpine only saw Krystal as his sister, Luna felt better.

"And that ends my explanation," said Nicholas. "You need to know this stuff when we get to Eladard. More information about the planet you will learn latter. Now we need to get to the next part. Let's head to the weight room."

They arrived inside to find a table setup with seven orange water bottles sitting on it. The other members except the robots were already working out on the machines.

"Before you do anything else, you need to grab one of those," said Nicholas, pointing to the bottles. "They're all the same and already filled with water. Since there are no water fountains in here, you'll have to use those. If you run out of water, just go into the bathroom, and refill them. The cloths you're wearing are designed to work out in. But if you have any coats, vests, shoulder pads, and things like that, you might want to take them off. Also, any watches, glasses, and jewelry should be taken off."

After choosing a water bottle, the girls took off the accessories of their cloths and other items before going back to Nicholas. He had already taken off his green vest, necklace, glasses, and ring.

"Now before we begin, I have to ask; have any one of you taking a weight lifting class before?' asked the vulpine.

"I did in the 11th grade," said Miyu.

"Good; then you kinda know what to do," said Nicholas. "Do you know which muscle groups are the biggest on the body?"

"The chest and back," said the lynx.

"Correct," said Nicholas with a smile. "And it applies to both males and females. The way you should start is by either working the back or chest first. Then focus on both the front and back of your legs. Next do your sides and abs. Finally, do the front and back parts of your arms."

He pointed to some of the machines. "Those machines there are where you should start. They have diagrams on how to work them. But ask one of us if you need help. I suggest starting at the lowest weight possible to get an idea on how to do the technique the right way. Now I'll show you how to record the weight you do."

He lead them over to one of the chest machines. "Notice the diagram on the machine," said Nicholas, pointing it out. Next to that was a paw scanner. "Watch this." He placed his right paw on it.

"Welcome, Nicholas," said the machine in a male voice. It caused the seven to jump. "Last weight done; 100 pounds. Today up it to 110 pounds."

"That's basically how it works," said Nicholas. He sat down and got in the ready position.

"Set one of three," said the machine. Nicholas began the repts. When he reached 14, he stopped.

"Now that you've gotten the idea, chose a machine," said the vulpine. "The weight you do will be recorded, and the machine will remember for you." The seven got to work.

X

Weight lifting came to an end. Fara had done the lowest weight possible, but she felt a little sore. But it was to be expected; she'd never done this kind of thing before. It was now 3:00 in the afternoon. She and the others made their way with Nicholas to the combat room with the rest of the team and their water bottles. The girls stayed the way they were when they had worked out.

"Now we'll begin the process of defending your minds against my ability," said Nicholas, his vest and other items still off. "The other team members will get some things set up. They've mastered this, so there's no need for them to do this. Now will you help me explain what to do, Fara?"

"Sure," she said with a smile.

"Wait a sec, how come she's not doing it with us?" asked Luna.

"Because I've already mastered the mind blocking technique," Fara replied. "Nicholas already told me everything that he told you six. I was his first student."

Luna just felt jealousy that Fara learned about it before she did.

"Allow me to explain," said Nicholas. He then went on to tell the other girls about what happened at homecoming, to how he saved Fara from being killed. And why he decided to tell the vixen.

"My team and I made the decision to give Fara the chance to join us. Besides, she's a smart vixen; I wouldn't have been able to keep it a secret from her forever."

Luna understood, but it still made her jealous. Fara then began to explain how to do the trick.

"When you're ready, let me know," said the vulpine. One by one, he tested out each girl. Fay used her feelings for Bill as a defense, Yuki used her feelings for Dash, Lucy used her feelings for Ben, and Nami used her feelings for Cody. They were just as strong as Fara's had been. But once Nicholas distracted them, they lost their shields.

Miyu and Luna on the other hand used the team's symbol as their defense. It wasn't as strong as the others had been, but it was fairly descent. Miyu chose it because she couldn't think of anything else. And Luna used it to keep her feelings for Nicholas in the dark. Nicholas also distracted them to make them loose their shields.

"Well you all seem to understand the idea," said the vulpine when he finished with Luna. He then went on to tell them what he had told Fara when he had been done testing her. "I won't say what you used for your shield. That's your business." The girls who had used feelings, felt relived.

"Now you must work on it. I'll try to catch you off guard, until I can't catch you by surprise anymore. Then you can begin the process of putting iron walls around your head."

By this point, the other members were ready. "We'll dived up into pairs," said Nicholas. "Luna will go with Amanda and Katt will handle Miyu. Ben will work with Lucy and Bill will work with Fay. Cody will handle Nami, and Dash has Yuki. That leaves me with Fara. We'll switch so that way we can work with everyone as the days pass." Fara shot Luna a smug look that Nicholas didn't catch. Luna just glared at the vixen.

Nicholas and Fara made their way to a corner. "Now to warm up, will do some hand to hand combat techniques. This will come in handy if you don't have any other weapon on your paws." They began. During their practice, Fara was able to snatch glances at her friends. She saw that they were doing the same thing she and Nicholas were doing.

They did some punching and kicking techniques. An hour later, everyone took a break.

"Good job," said Nicholas when they stopped. "But it will get harder. But know that this will be important." Fara just took a drink from her bottle. Nicholas then went over to another corner of the room with the other members and grabbed some objects from a crate. They then went back to the seven.

"Catch!" Nicholas barked at the vixen. He tossed a wooden training sword. Fara caught it in her right paw. Her water bottle was in her left, so it was no problem. She put it down.

"Defend yourself," said Nicholas, taking a stance, a training sword in his paws.

Fara didn't know what kind of game he was playing, but decided to go along with it. She swung the sword at the vulpine. With a flick of his wrists, Nicholas deflected it. The impact jarred Fara's arms. Nicholas struck at her. She tried to defend, but was too slow. Nicholas got her on the arm. With a yelp of pain, Fara dropped the sword.

"Pick it up; don't just stand around," said Nicholas. Fara did so. "Come at me." Fara swung the sword at Nicholas. This time he moved out of the way. Fara just swung back. Nicholas dodged a few more of her blows before disarming her. Fara let the weapon come out of her grasp.

"Again," said Nicholas. Fara picked the weapon up, now wondering what Nicholas was up to. She swung, but at the last second changed the direction of it. Nicholas blocked it. "Changing directions; good!" he said. He struck at Fara. Once again he got her. The vixen could already feel the bruises beginning to form. She took a quick look at her friends who were also training with swords.

"Don't look around you; focus on the enemy!" shouted Nicholas. His arms were a blur. Fara felt a solid smack on the side of her head and went down, dropping her training sword. The next thing she felt was water being splashed on her. The liquid came from her water bottle.

"You don't have time to be laying around," said Nicholas. "Get up!"

Fara couldn't believe it. How could the kind, gentle vulpine that she'd fallen in love with be like this? "I thought you said I was like your sister," she said as she got up, grabbing her sword. "Would you really do this if we were siblings?"

"I would, if it would allow her to survive," said Nicholas.

"This is going to kill me," said Fara.

"A real enemy wouldn't soften their blows," said the vulpine. "Neither will I. Besides, if this would kill you, we wouldn't be doing it. Now come at me."

Fara just glared at the sword in her right paw. "Forget this," she said, dropping the weapon and began to walk away. Nicholas grabbed it and threw it at her, hitting Fara on the back. The vixen spun around with a growl, barring her teeth at him. She had anger in her eyes.

"Never turn your back on the enemy!" Nicholas shouted. Fara grabbed the sword and charged at Nicholas. "Keep your knees bent! Move your feet!" Nicholas said. Fara was a quick learner. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't even touch the vulpine.

X

At 5:00, Nicholas and the others stopped. The seven were moaning and growing. They were banged and scratched up. You could see the bruises beginning to form. Out of all of them, Miyu was the one in better shape.

Get them up to the hot tubs," said Nicholas to the robots. The three of them took the girls to their rooms to get the swim suits they had brought. Somehow the seven got them on. When they had arrived at the tubs with the robots help, they settled in the hot water.

Suddenly the girls noticed their pains and aches going away. Even the scratches and bruises were disappearing. "What's with this water?!" asked Nami.

"We're healing like crazy!" said Lucy.

"This is freaking awesome!" said Miyu.

X

They seven got changed back into their regular cloths along with their accessories that they had left behind in the weight room after their soak. They then came down to the dining area where the other members were. They then ate dinner because it was 6:00.

"Like the way the hot tub healed you?" asked Nicholas. The seven said that they did. "The only reason why it's doing it now was because you needed to. It works like a regular one when you don't need to be healed. But that hot tub has slight healing properties. It can only heal bruises, minor cuts, and scrapes. Anything more serious needs to be attending in the lab."

They ate the food, and then everyone was allowed to relax. The girls unpacked the stuff they had brought. Some of the things were ones that were important objects. They also put up framed pictures.

Fara finished setting up hers. Once was the family one that included her mom, dad, herself, and Grace. The others were together pictures of her and Nicholas during homecoming and Prom. She knew that no one would see these since the room was secure. Fay also had pictures of her and Bill set up and the same applied to Yuki with Dash, and Lucy with Ben.

Nicholas then gave the girls exercises to do to keep up their strength in the muscles and stretches to increase their flexibility. They were told to increase the exercises slowly over time and to do those and the stretches sometime before going to bed. The night came and everyone easily went to sleep.

X

The next day the same thing happened again. First they did shooting practice. Then after lunch, the six practiced their mental shields. Next they worked on only their abs and sides. Nicholas explained that the other muscles in their bodies needed a rest, but the abs and sides could be worked every day. Once that was done, the seven went through stamina and endurance exercises. It left them all winded.

They then went back to the combat room to practice hand to hand fighting with the same partners they had yesterday. Once it was done, the time came for weapon practicing with the other members.

"Not again," Fara groaned when she learned about it. She knew the hot tub would heal her, but she cringed at the thought of going through the pain of this part. Nicholas just smiled and tossed her the practice sword. The two foxes and others continued where they had left off.


	3. Chapter 3

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 3: Discovery

The whole week continued with the seven's training. By the end of the time period, the girls were able to get every shot on the targets. Some even got close to the bull's eyes. The seven thought that they were making progress with that. Their speed and firing was also increasing.

Nicholas didn't know how it happened, but somehow when it came to shooting, Fara and Luna got in a little contest to see who the better shooter was. It seemed like a pointless thing to do in the vulpine's eyes because both girls were on the same level.

The seven felt that their weapon skills and everything else except for strength, however was still stuck at level one. What they didn't realize that those things were slowly increasing. It was just at such a slow process that they almost didn't see it. It wasn't until the end of the week that they noticed a change.

On Wednesday, the girls were switched with a different member when it came to weapon practicing. As Luna partnered up with Nicholas, Fara sent the she wolf an evil look as a warning not to try anything with him. But the vixen didn't have to worry. Nicholas kept Luna so busy that the she wolf didn't have time to do so.

When the day came around before the one week adversity of the seven's joining of the team, did the girls notice a change in the things that they thought weren't increasing at all. For example, when it came to helping lifting heavy things, stuff they wouldn't have been able to budge could now be scooted. Not by much, but enough to notice. They wondered if the change could have done by the machines.

Then when it came to the stamina and endurance routines they found that they were a bit less winded at the end. As for weapon practicing, they noticed that when they blocked, the impact didn't jar their arms. Their strikes were becoming stronger. And they were able to hold off a few of their partners blows before getting struck. But the biggest notice was when Fay, who was practicing with Cody managed to strike him once on his paw. That made him join the girls in the hot tub when the practice was over.

As for the other six's mind blocking training, they were making rapid progress like Fara had. They quickly learned to keep their guard up around Nicholas. It got to the point that he couldn't catch them by surprise anymore.

X

When Fay had some time to spare, she would spend it looking over the mechanics of the ship. Nicholas told her that she need to familiarize herself with it before focusing on any of the other machines.

"This is our home," he told the collie. "It needs to be in tip top shape. Because if it's not, and something happens when were high in the air or in space, we'll be fucked. But we have faith in you."

With those words, Fay then made it her goal and duty to make sure that nothing bad would happen. Fay was the one to install the spare engines and parts that Nicholas and his crew had gotten from Fara's father when the old team came to Corneria the year before heading to Rocket High. She had help from the robots since there were some things where she needed it. Especially since she wouldn't be able to do the plumbing. That job was Jazz's since he was the team's plumber besides being their medic.

On Sunday, after the shooting practice was done, the crew was allowed to relax a bit after lunch before the other things that needed to be done for the seven's training. This applied on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The old members of the team went to the band room to get a little practice in with the instruments. They had done this when they had some time to spare during the week so far.

While they were taking a break, Fara, Luna, Miyu, Fay, and Lucy went up on stage. Nami and Yuki stayed behind and checked out the special effects booth at the back of the room. The others noticed them.

"Want to try something out?" asked Nicholas. This comment made the seven look at him funny. "I think you should." He first went to the booth in the room and told Robert to show Nami and Yuki some things to see if it would interest the two. Then the vulpine went back to the stage.

"Now then, why don't you girls check out the instruments?" he asked. The ones on stage did just that. Luna excused herself from taking up Nicholas's suggestion. She had a feeling that her talents were just for singing.

The rest however took a look at each instrument. None of them thought that Amanda's instrument was the one for them. Or doing percussion ones like Dash, the electric fiddle that Katt played, or the upright electric bass like Cody would work. Then Miyu went to the drums that Jazz usually played, Lucy picked up the electric bass, and Fay picked up the electric guitar. Miyu sat down and held up the sticks, and a slow grin came onto her face. The same thing happened to the other two girls. They somehow knew that the instruments they were holding were the ones for them.

"Do you like what you've chosen?" asked Nicholas.

"I haven't," said Fara. "None of these seem like something I want to try. Don't you have anything like a piano or something?"

"Yes… Wait right there," said Nicholas. The vulpine went into the hallway that connected the stage to the special effects booth. Five minutes later, he came back with an electric keyboard.

"This hasn't been used at all," Nicholas said as he set it up. "We haven't because there weren't enough members to play it. Now we've got a lot." He finished hooking up the instrument and turned it on. "Try it out."

Fara went up to it, and curled her fingers around the keys. A smile slowly came on her face. "This will work. But who will teach me?" she asked.

"I'll download lessons for you. It shouldn't be too hard," said Nicholas. "Jazz will give Miyu lessons, Wire will handle Lucy, and Bill will help with Fay. I think this will turn out great. To have more members join our band and a couple of others handling the effects. If Miyu, Lucy, Fara, and Fay get really good, then they can perform with us and the robots who played their instruments beforehand can act as backups in case something happens."

As the vulpine said this, everyone else couldn't help but imagine the seven performing with the old members. He then went back to the hallway and brought out another electric guitar and electric bass for Lucy and Fay. He set them up.

"Any way, it seems we're running out of time. We need to get back to training. But those instruments and positions seem to fit you girls," said Nicholas. "When we have the time, you can practice them, and in Yuki and Nami's case, those two can learn from Robert."

X

The one week adversity came and Nicholas figured it was time to visit Papetoon to see Dash's parents before heading to Eladard. But then he discovered a problem. He met with the others.

"Okay, I've got some good news and some bad news," said the vulpine. "What do you want to hear first?"

"Um… the bad?" asked Nami.

"Basically we're going to be stuck here for a while." This brought a round of "What?" from everyone. "Since me, Ben, or Cody haven't been to Eladard in a year, the planet needs to be prepared for our return. This normally takes a month and a half. However, a storm has struck and it's damaged some of the buildings and made a huge mess. So now, they have to clean and repair before preparing. It will therefore take about three months for the work to get finished." He let that hang in the air for a moment.

"So now we have to wait for them. But all is not bad. This gives you seven more time to train and learn before reaching Eladard."

"So now what?' asked Amanda.

"For now, we'll stay here and train them. While that's going on, we'll visit the friends and family on Corneria when we can. Then sometime in late August, we head to Papetoon to visit Dash's parents since I said we would at the end of the school year. We'll stay for about a week before heading to Eladard. I'd say that by early September, we'll make it to my home world."

Everyone just listened to him. In truth, they wanted to see how their friends and family we're doing. Perhaps this was a good break for them. "Let's call and let them know about our situation," said Nicholas.

X

Before that could happen, the seven needed to learn how to fly in their ships since each one was only a one seater. Fara and her friends couldn't be taken down to the surface of Corneria to visit by the rest of the team members.

"You girls were going to have to learn how to anyway," said Nicholas.

Simulators were set up in the combat for each of the seven. It only allowed them to steer, and not fire. There would be time for that latter. But Fara and her friends were quick learners. Very quickly they were acing the simulator. It was kinda like driving a car. Only more powerful.

"Well, well," said Nicholas when they were done. "Seems you've got this. Want to try it out for real?" This made the seven stop, uncertainty running through their veins.

"Unless you're scared?' went Katt in a teasing voice. That made the new members change their mind in a hurry. Everyone except the robots made their way down to the hanger.

"So how do you tell who's ship is who's?" asked Nami.

"We spray painted a symbol on the wings that is our own design," Nicholas explained. "After you choose yours, we'll give you to tools to do so." Each ship had a ladder that went to the cockpits. The vulpine and other team members went to their own ships. Fara saw that his had a fist painted on each of the wings. She wondered why she hadn't noticed it during career day. The vixen guessed that she was too distracted to notice.

The seven made their way to the remaining ones. The girls noticed that the words Z-Striker was printed on the right side of the body. Nicholas had told them beforehand that Z-Striker was the name of the type of ship.

After climbing in, Fara turned on the ship's main control, just like she'd done in the simulator. As the ship came to life, the ladder next to hers retracted and went into the ground, while the cockpit door closed. She then put on the light pink colored helmet that was in her Z-Striker. It covered her entire back head, left her ears exposed, and only covered the middle section of her forehead. The helmet came around and stopped at her cheeks. Her friends had their ships activated as well. Fara saw the health and weapon monitors light up.

"Communication's line; green." Nicholas's voice sounded throughout all of them. The front door to the hanger bay opened to reveal space. The bars that held the Z-Strikers in place retracted. The ships hovered in the air. One by one, the team went out.

"How's she handling?" Bill asked. The seven could feel excitement once again coursing through their bodies. This was totally different from the simulators they had just mastered.

"We won't get into combat just yet," said Nicholas. "For now, just focus on flying."

Fara and her friends did so. Miyu, who was somewhat more daring was actually trying barrel rolls, and other maneuvers. Fay and Bill were just flying side by side. So were Cody and Nami, Ben and Lucy, and Dash and Yuki.

"Hey Nicholas; want to have some fun?" asked Luna. "Let's see who can go all the way around Corneria the fastest."

"Are you sure you're up for that?" asked the vulpine. "You're just a newbie after all."

"Of course I am," the she wolf replied.

"If you say so," said Nicholas with a smile. Fara just glared at Luna through her cockpit.

The two did so, with Nicholas wining just barely. After that, he went against Fara. The two actually tied. Then the others got into it.

"Okay then, since you've proven yourself, let's head back so you can mark your Z-Strikers," said their leader. They returned home. Fara then got to work on selecting something. The vixen ended up choosing a crystal shaped pattern inside of a green circle. It certainly looked cool enough. The vixen decided to make the helmet she found in her ship be a part of her outfit. It certainly went well with it. She and the others learned that only Fara's Z-Striker had the helmet in the vehicle. Her friends didn't mind at all and said that Fara should keep it.

X

Plans were made to visit the friends and family left behind. Everyone was really happy to hear from each other after they heard about Star Flight's situation. Nicholas told the seven not to tell their families and friends about the stuff he'd told them about his connection to Eladard. But anything else was good. Everyone loved the new outfits that the seven were in. But Fara and her friends only wore them on the first day of reunion. The rest of the time, they came in regular clothes.

Nicholas, although he said that the regular clothes wouldn't be worn while in action and on the ship, should be kept just in case. So the seven had put the clothing that they had brought with them originally in a safe place. Nicholas had said that any nice cloths, like dresses, and bathing suits could also be kept.

Because Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays were the busiest days with the seven's training, the team could only visit on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and the weekends. This meant of course that Star Flight had to get up earlier to finish the training for the day so that way the afternoons and evenings could be free.

The Star Flight team spent a lot of time with their family and friends, finding out what they had been up to. Everyone was really interested in what kind of training the seven had been up to. They thought it sounded tuff, but it wasn't.

Nothing too interesting had been happening with the families, but with their friends, it was a whole other story. Darcy and Josh were so happy living together. The female coyote had been checking out some options, while her mountain lion boyfriend was thinking about joining the college foot ball team. He was just trying some classes at the moment.

Kelly was thinking about becoming a layer. That field of work really fascinated the female mountain lion. She knew that it would take a lot of studying and hard work to become a good one. But she was ready for it.

Dave wasn't quite sure what he wanted to do. Like Josh, he was just taking some classes to find something. And to enjoy college life in the meantime.

As for Nate and Natalie, they had gone from liking each other to loving one another. It was the same for Erin and Kyle. The four were also unsure of what career they wanted. But they had a bit of time before trying to decide.

The time was spent hanging out, seeing movies, and all kinds of stuff. Of course time was set aside for families. Nicholas spent a lot of time with Fara when the vixen visited her family. Grace was also so happy to see him when the vulpine came. However, Nicholas also took time with Luna when she went to visit her parents. Nicholas split the time by going over to the she wolf's house until the late afternoon, before heading to Fara's house. He always brought another one of his team members to make sure nothing would happen. He explained to Fara that he got Luna out of the way so that he could save the best for last. This made the vixen very happy.

X

Fara woke up one morning about a month and a half since she'd joined Star Flight. She made her way to her bathroom to get ready for the day. As the vixen was going through the morning rituals, she couldn't help but look in the mirror. Something then made her look closer.

Her face and body had changed. They had seemed to taken an even more feminine appearance than ever before. The vixen's body had curved and flared out with greater grace and pose. Her arms and legs seemed slightly bigger than usual; probably due to the training. And now that Fara looked closer, she could've sworn that she'd also grown in the chest. Not due to weight lifting, weapon practicing, or exercises, but due to natural growing.

She turned around, swishing her hips as she did so to take a full body look. There was no doubt about it. Fara had grown some more. That was the wonderful thing about it. It happened at such a slow pace, you didn't notice it until you took a really good look. Fara also thought that she seemed taller than before. The vixen smiled at herself, hoping that Nicholas would notice.

Fara made her way down to breakfast. She couldn't help but also notice changes in her friends as well; just like what she'd discovered. Then Luna walked into the room. "_Fuck,_" was all Fara could think. Luna looked even more beautiful now. The she wolf had also grown; especially in the chest. Now their competition for Nicholas would get even trickier.

Meanwhile, Bill, Dash, Cody, and Ben saw the girls they liked. They to noticed the changes they'd gone through. The feelings they had for them increased even more. Katt and Amanda also noticed the changes in the seven. Nicholas however, just acted like nothing was different. Then when Fara got up after eating, Nicholas really got a look at her. He saw the changes that had happened to the vixen, and couldn't help but think that Fara really looked like a woman. And how beautiful she looked.

Then the vulpine mentally kicked himself. "_What the hell is wrong with me? Fara's grown, that's all,_" he thought. Nobody else had noticed him looking. Then Nicholas got a look at the remaining six and noticed the changes they'd gone through.

When the seven went to the medical lab to do a check up, their suspicions of growing were proven true. They had in all areas of the body and had gotten taller. Fara now was 5'5, two inches shorter than Nicholas who was 5'7. Everyone one else except for Luna was 5'6, while the she wolf stood at 5'7.

Their training was going at a quick pace. By this point, the new members had sparred with every member of the old team at least once. They were able to fend off their partner's blows for a bit, and managed to strike back. Now the seven were joined by the others in the hot tub.

Their shooting was getting quicker and more accurate. Fara and her friends had managed to get bulls eyes on the targets a few times. Their endurance, stamina, reflexes, hand coordination, flexibility, and strength were increasing. And their piloting plus their hand to hand combat skills were growing. They had gotten to the point of actually trying out the weapons on their Z-Strikers. The seven were becoming great pilots fast. Fara and her friends had also managed to do simulations that involved the X-Strikers (The tanks of the team) and the Y-Strikers (The subs of the team).

X

"Hey Fara, you doing alright?" Nicholas voice could be heard from the living room of her house. "You've been in your room for awhile."

"Yeah, just give me a minute." Fara was changing into something more comfortable for the walk that she and Nicholas would take with Grace. It was a bit hotter than usual, and the vixen had to change into something more light than what she'd brought. She came out in gym shorts and a tank top to the living room.

Fara's parents were out doing a quick pick up at the grocery store for the dinner that would be happening latter that evening. Katt was also with Nicholas sitting in the room while Nicholas fed Grace while sitting on the couch. He'd been shown how to by Fara's parents and it seemed that the little kit's appetite had increased even more.

It was getting closer to when the team would leave for Papetoon. But they couldn't leave yet since it was getting closer to Grace's first birthday which would happen on August 9th. Nicholas didn't want to miss that. Fara couldn't help but think that soon it would be the one year adversity since Star Flight came to Rocket High. Career day had happened on September 13th, one month after Grace's birthday.

The vixen looked at the scene in the living room at Nicholas who wasn't paying attention to her, but Grace. He seemed so… entranced with the almost one year old kit as he looked down on her with merry eyes as the vulpine fed her. Fara thought back to all the times Nicholas had spent with her. From feeding, playing with Grace, comforting her when she cried. The only thing the vulpine wouldn't do was change her. He explained that he would wait until he had his own kids. But Fara didn't mind doing it.

It was funny in a way. Although the vixen didn't know how much Nicholas loved Grace, the way he acted to the kit was like he was actually her brother. Maybe even like a father. The vulpine was there for her all the time. It wasn't too hard to imagine Grace being Nicholas's daughter.

When the last drops of formula were inside of the kit, Nicholas placed the bottle to the side. He then gently held up Grace towards his head and side, patting her on the back as he'd been shown.

"Has the little one had enough yet?" asked Katt with amusement. Nicholas was about to answer, when Grace interrupted him by the expected but louder than expected burp that the kit let out. Fara and Nicholas laughed as the vulpine held Grace in his caring arms.

"I'd say so," he replied. Grace was already dressed and ready to go. So Nicholas placed her in the stroller and went out the door with Fara. Katt would stay to watch the house.

X

It was around 6:30 and Nicholas, Katt, and the family were sitting around the table eating. It had gotten exciting since Grace being close to 12 months was now able to put together small words and even a phrase. Babies were able to between the ages of 11 to 14 months. Everyone was wondering what her first word would be. They could only guess. Nicholas was sitting next to Fara, and Grace's left.

"Can you say 'Daddy', Grace? Dad-y?" asked Allen. The young baby girl mumbled to herself trying to piece the two words together, but failed to do so.

"Can you say 'Mommy'?" Mom-y loves you," said Stephanie. Grace tried, but couldn't say it.

"Sis-ter ," said Fara, trying to make Grace copy her lip movement. The older sibling tried again. "Sis-ter."

"Bro-ther." Grace's first word blew everyone away as their smiles instantly faded and went into a state of shock. Grace's small paw was close enough to reach Nicholas as she had said that word to him as the two locked gazes. The vulpine's expression had changed drastically. The only sound in the room was the baby's extraordinary happy laughter as she clapped her small paws together.

It took Nicholas several moments to come back from his state of shock and into reality. He looked at all the faces at the table, with everyone looking at him with their full focus and attention. He quickly became uncomfortable, and felt his cheeks heat up.

"I-um…Excuse me." Nicholas quickly stood up, pushed his chair out of the way, and was practically running for the door.

"Nicholas, wait!" Fara chased after him through the door, but didn't have to go far. Nicholas was pacing back and forth across the front porch, his right paw clutching his forehead. The vulpine's mind was just thinking about what had happened. He simply didn't know how to take it. "Nicholas," said Fara.

"I-I don't…." He was talking to nobody in particular as if he didn't notice the vixen standing right there by the front door. It blew all his thoughts away and believed it changed him in some way. He knew that thing had happened when he first met Grace. But he didn't think it would happen like this. Fara let him pace for a moment longer. He then turned towards her, his face still red, and his paw went down.

"I… Maybe I shouldn't come over as often anymore," said Nicholas. The vulpine didn't know if separation from Grace would do anything, but he just didn't know what to do or think at this moment. It was just too bizarre.

"Nicholas…" said Fara. "I-I know this was definitely not what you expected, but Grace sees you as her brother. I mean, after all the time you spent with us…"

"I-I know; it's just…" The vulpine trailed off. "It's just so surprising." He made his way over to the swinging porch bench and sat down, his face returning to normal. Fara took her place next to him. They stayed silent for a bit. Then Fara spoke, turning her face to him.

"Nicholas, I know this is a shocker and difficult to understand, but you honestly can't be surprised that Grace thinks you're her brother."

"I'm not; it just took me by surprise," he replied.

"She loves you, you know?" Nicholas turned his head to Fara as she looked at him. Her expression was light, but serious. "And you're there for her. Comforting her when she cries, playing with her, watching her, feeding her… everything you done with my sister is just like a brother should."

"I know…" Nicholas whispered.

"Well… If you believe it's for the best that you don't come over as often, I won't argue with your decision. But I do appreciate all you done for her. She, my family, and I will miss you." The words came from the vixen's heart. In truth, Fara had watched him interact with his sister. In a way, it was more like a father who takes care of his own child. She knew that if Nicholas had children, he would be a great one. Fara could see it; Nicholas raising some kids. Their own kids. Meanwhile, Nicholas was looking at her, just realizing how beautiful she was. He didn't see her in a romantic light, but what the vixen had said spoke in his mind.

Fara was about to excuse herself, and got up. But something kept her pinned. She looked down and saw that the vulpine had grabbed one of her paws with one of his own. She looked up to him, blush coming on her muzzle.

"Please sit down," said Nicholas. Fara never broke eye contact with the boy she loved as the vixen did what the vulpine asked. "There's more to it than this. It's something I never told anyone. But when I first met Grace, and your mother passed her to me, I got that same feeling when I first saw you. The feeling that somehow, your sister would become a part of my life. Just like you have. I'm not saying that she'll end up marrying one of my relatives when she gets older. But somehow, I think that she'll become a part of my family in the future."

Fara didn't know what to say; their paws were still together.

"I won't stop seeing her, actually," Nicholas continued. "Because I love her to."

"Nicholas…" said Fara. What he had said had set off scenes in her head. Did this mean that maybe someday, they would be together? It didn't seem possible, but maybe it could happen. The vixen placed her forehead on top of Nicholas's and wrapped her arms around him. The vulpine place his around her. They sat there for the longest time.

Nicholas then smiled to himself. "It's getting late; we need to head back home," he said. The two got up, and went into her house to get Katt.

X

The birthday of Grace was attended by all the friends and family of the team. It was amazing at how much the kit had grown and changed.

"They you are," said Nicholas when he came. He placed a kiss on Grace's forehead to everyone's surprise. "Your brother wouldn't miss this for anything."

"Wait… Brother?" asked Luna. Everyone except those who had been present when Grace had said her first word gave Nicholas a questioning look.

"Well…" said the vulpine, blushing and got a sheepish look on his muzzle. "Grace called me her brother a few days back. It was the first word she said." Luna just looked at him. "But I do consider this little one to be my sister because I love her like she is one."

"I think it's so cute," said Katt, placing her gift on top of the pile. Although Grace was more into playing with the cake, the other guests managed to get some. While talking with themselves, everyone promised to call each other once a week on Sundays unless something came up to stay in touch.

A week after that, the Star Flight team left Corneria to begin their journey to Papetoon before heading to Eladard.

Author's notes: This was the longest one so far, but worth it.


	4. Chapter 4

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 4: A Visit

It didn't take long to reach Papetoon in the mother ship of Star Flight. Nicholas told Dash before hand to let his parents know that the team was coming. Again, like with visiting the friends and family on Corneria, Star Flight could only see Andrea and Jasper on Tuesday, Thursday, and the weekend.

Fara and her friends knew about the planet, but had never set foot on it. A small, brown planet, it had some small towns and cities; at least a quarter of Cornerian ones. Mostly dry and rocky, with some trees, Papetoon was mainly a spaceport to transport goods, and travelers.

After stopping in orbit around the planet, the team prepared themselves. Since the planet could get a bit hot, they would need light cloths; like those worn during the summer. While they were doing that, Yuki couldn't help but wonder what Dash's parents were like. Knowing how tall the snow monkey was, it was a good bet that his father would be the same height. But to Yuki, size didn't matter at all. As long as the she snow monkey got with him, she could care less.

Tuesday came, and around lunch time, Star Flight was on the planet in their Z-Strikers. Dash leaded the way to a clearing that had a house. Even though Nicholas did know where the building was, the vulpine felt that Dash should be the one to show the rest of the team.

They landed, and got out. Yuki began to feel a little nervous. Dash noticed, and place a reassuring hand on her arm. "My parents are nice people; you've got nothing to worry about." Yuki smiled at him and took in his words. The group made their way to the door.

It swung open with a bang, causing Star Flight to jump. The next thing that everyone knew, Dash and his parents were in each other's arms. Andrea had some tears of joy coming down her face. She had missed her son so much.

"Welcome home, son," said Jasper.

"Thanks dad," Dash responded. The three stepped back.

"You look well," Andrea replied. Then she seemed to notice the rest of the team. "Oh, excuse us. Let's not forget the rest of your team mates."

"It's nice to see you two again," said Nicholas.

"Likewise," said Jasper. Dash's parents hadn't noticed Yuki yet; the young male snow monkey turned his head to her.

"Mom, dad; this is Yuki Flower. Yuki, these are my parents." Yuki was a bit surprised to see that Andrea also stood at 6'5 like the boy she loved, and his dad. But she shock it off and walked over with a smile.

Andrea felt a smile creeping on her face. This girl looked like the perfect one for her son. Especially since Dash's break up with his last girlfriend. Mainly because he didn't want to have to deal with the long distance crap. Jasper just gave the young lady a nod with a smile.

"Nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Bowman," said Yuki. She and Jasper shock hands.

"Just Jasper is fine," said the tall snow monkey. "You don't have to be so professional. After all, legally, you're an adult like us. So it's alright to call me and my wife by our first names." Dash had told his parents that Yuki was 18 before coming.

Dash introduced the rest of the team members to his parents that they hadn't met before, and then everyone went in the building. There were some things that needed to be done around the house, especially preparing the meal for dinner. During one break time, Dash took Yuki on a tour of the home, just like she'd done with him when he went to her house. All the girls had with the guys they loved. But everyone time, someone else came along to make sure nothing would happen. Especially when it came to showing their bedrooms.

Andrea and Jasper could see the spark in Yuki's eyes when she looked at Dash. And if they didn't know any better, sometimes Dash would get a look in his eyes when he looked at her when Yuki wasn't looking. His parents could tell that Dash really like this girl in a romantic way. They wondered when it would be when their son would ask Yuki out.

Dinner time was a fun one. The team told Dash's parents some of the things that happened during the last school year, and how the training of the seven was going. Star Flight found out that not much had happened for Jasper and Andrea. But hey; when you leave on a small planet, nothing too big happens.

X

Although Andrea was still thinking about telling Dash about Andross, she decided not to. She could see how happy he was. Especially around Yuki. The older female snow monkey figured there would be an opportunity to tell him in the future.

Dash's parents did see the concerts that had been taken during the year and other songs that Dash had done. During each one, unknown to the seven, except during homecoming, Robert had been filming the performances. Only the songs that involved Dash singing were shown on the TV. Jasper and Andrea just watched with pride in their eyes. They were so proud of him.

All too quickly, the time came for Star Flight to leave. Although there were tears from Dash's mother, she knew that he had to go. He promised to stay in touch, just like he had before. But as they were leaving, Yuki got stopped by Andrea. The young female snow monkey raised an eyebrow in question.

"Before you go, I want to say that it's so nice that Dash met you. You're a sweet girl, and I think that you're perfect for him."

"I know," said Yuki. "I know he's single, and I want to be with him. I just have to wait, that's all."

"Hurry up, Yuki!" She heard Nicholas yelling from his fighter.

"I'll make him happy for sure; I promise," said Yuki. She then ran towards her Z-Striker.

"What was that about?" asked Nicholas as she approached.

"Nothing too much," said the snow monkey. "Just some insight." The team then took off, ready to visit Eladard.


	5. Chapter 5

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 5: The Rules and Laws

Author's notes: You don't have to read this chapter, but it's recommended that you do. This ways you can have a better understand on how the government of Eladard works. Some of these rules and laws are important to the story.

X

The Star Flight team was now headed towards a section in the asteroid belt. Nicholas said he would explain the reason for coming here in a bit. He called everyone into the main control and briefing room.

"Have a seat," he said when the rest of the crew arrived. They all did so.

"Before we head to Eladard, there's some information that everyone, except me, Cody, Ben, Robert, Wire, and Jazz need to look over. It's important." The seven, Bill, Dash, Katt, and Amanda were each handed an electronic tablet.

"On each are the laws of Eladard," the vulpine explained. "Since we'll be heading back, and probably be living there for some time, you need to be familiar with these so I don't have to explain anything latter."

Fara took a look and so did everyone else. It was silent as they did so. There were many laws and rules, but only some stuck out to Fara.

**If visitors wish to become permanent residents of Eladard, they must take a citizenship test.**

**Visitors are not allowed to participate in elections.**

**Visitors are allowed to attend and/or participate in all ceremonies and celebrations.**

**Only citizens of Eladard, pure Cerinians, and part ones can visit Cerinia.**

**Anyone who is born on Eladard is considered a citizen of the planet, even if their parents weren't born and raised on Eladard.**

**Anyone from Cerinia or the other planets of the Lunar system are considered citizens of Eladard.**

**Everyone, regardless of species, sex, status, wealth, or power has rights of freedom. This also applies to visitors. **

**Freedom of the press applies to everyone and visitors. **

**At age 16, a teen can try to get a learner's permit for driving. After that, they can get a licensee. **

**A child is considered an adult at 18 regardless of species or gender. They can vote and smoke legally. They are allowed to drink liquid that taste like alcohol.**

**It is illegal to sell real alcoholic beverages to those under 21 and to sell tobacco products and liquid that tastes like alcohol to those under 18.**

**Those who do stealing and/or murder will be heavily punished. **

**At 18 you can fight and die for Eladard. If a draft is posted because all men and women are needed to fight, you must sign up and join the army.**

**All religions are to be tolerated and the people have the right to worship without fear of opposition. **

**Eight days after a pure blood Cerinian or a part one is born, the markings are to be placed in the appropriate areas of the body. Then if it's a boy, he is to be circumcised. **

**It is the job of the parents of the Cerinians or part ones to begin to teach their children how to control their powers.**

**At age six, all kids regardless of what kind of being they are required to go to school.**

**At age 12, all pure blood Cerinians or part ones are required to go to one of the special schools to learn how to control their powers while continuing their regular education. **

**At age 13, male and female pure blood Cerinians or part ones are to be given a Cerinian weapon. Only one is allowed to be used by an individual. If it should get destroyed, then they will be allowed to get a new one. If it becomes lost, then a temporary weapon will be given. If the original one is never returned, then the temporary one becomes the new weapon of that pure or part Cerinian. **

**Each town is ruled by a mayor that is elected by the town's people. A term consists of four years. A mayor can run for only two terms.**

**A town judge is elected by the town's folk. A judge's term and how many times he or she can run for is the same as a mayor's.**

**An elemental king and/or queen rules over a section of Eladard. The youngest one can become an elemental ruler is the age of 20. Their term is for life. They are elected by the people of that area. **

**A high king and/or queen is ruler over all of Eladard. The youngest one can be to become the high king or high queen is the age of 20. They are elected by all the people on Eladard. Their term is for life. **

**The council of 13 is consisted of 13 species to advise and aid the high king and/or queen. The youngest one can be to hold this position is the age of 50. They are elected by all the people of Eladard. Their term is for life. **

**If any member of the council, any queen, king, judge, or mayor fails to live up to the expectations of the people, the people have the right to rebel and place someone else in that position.**

**If one of the council members, mayors, or judges dies or is too sick to carry out his or her duties, it is up to the people to elect a new one. **

**If any king or queen dies, or is too sick to carry out their duties, they can name a successor. It can be whoever they want. If they haven't named one, the rule will be turned over to one of their family members or one of their children. If there are no family members or children, then it is up to the people to elect a new king and/or queen. This also applies to the high king and/or queen. **

**If a pure blood Cerinian or part one does a crime so horrible or joins up with the enemy in war all of a sudden, then they are considered to no longer be part of the race and are banished from the Lunar and Sol Systems. If they are found anywhere in those systems, they will be attacked and killed. This does not apply if any individual acts as a spy for Eladard side and joins the enemy's ranks.**

**Same sex marriage is legal and should be tolerated.**

**Anyone can marry whomever they chose.**

**A pure blood Cerinian or part one can marry anyone, even a non Cerinian.**

**Any mayor, judge, king, or queen can marry whomever they chose. This applies to the high king and/or queen. They can marry non Cerinians and they don't have to be a judge, mayor, or royalty. The high king and/or queen can marry the common people.**

**If a visitor who isn't a citizen marries someone who is, they are automatically considered a citizen of Eladard. **

**If a non Cerinian marries someone who is pure or part, the non one is considered to be a part of the race, and will be marked in the appropriate areas of the body. If the non Cerinian male hasn't been circumcised, they will be. This applies to all species. **

**Non Cerinians or any species can wield a Cerinian weapon if the original owner has lost it. When the original owner is found, the non Cerinian must give the weapon back to the original owner. **

**A non Cerinian can be given a Cerinian weapon if they are deemed worthy. If one of the weapons chose them, it must be accepted. The non Cerinian then must be taught to learn how to control the weapon's power. This does not make them a member of the race. Only marrying a pure or part Cerinian can make them a member of the race. **

X

Sometime later, Fara finished and looked up to see some of the others still reading. There had been other laws and rules but the ones that had been stated above caught the vixen's eye. The part of being to marry a pure or part Cerinian even if the other wasn't one, made Fara extremely happy. That meant that if Nicholas did ask her, she could, and nobody would say otherwise.

Soon everyone else was done reading. "Now that you know, we can head out," said Nicholas.

Author's notes: The ones in bold are the ones that are important to the story.


	6. Chapter 6

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 6: Eladard

Author's notes: Check the links in my profile for pictures that will help you better understand the layout of the systems, planets, areas, and what the characters look like. As more come up, more links will be added. Also, because I'm back in school, chapters may become less frequent. Finally, the park Nicholas mentions is the Star Fox version of Six Flags amusement park.

X

"Now I know you've got some questions about Eladard, but those will have to wait," said Nicholas. "They'll be answered there."

"The reason we're here at the asteroid belt is not because of the area, but is what is in it. I'm talking of course about the wormhole."

"A wormhole?" asked Lucy. "What's that?"

"A wormhole is a spot in space that acts a transport tube that can beam you from one galaxy to another one. Otherwise, it would take years to even reach it. Something that I know nobody wants to do. There are three that will get us to the Lunar system. One near Corneria, Sauria, and the one we're taking is in the asteroid belt."

"But I don't recall these wormholes on any map of the Lylat," said Nami. "If they were there, this system would know about them."

"That's because the Lylat doesn't have the technology to find them," said the vulpine. "Much less going through one of them. But the Lunar and Sol systems do."

"Just how advance are those systems?" asked Miyu.

"They're just as advanced as the Lylat system when it comes to everything except space travel. When my ancestors first landed on Eladard, they mainly got through the wormhole with a combination of technology and the magic they wielded. The same power that I have to use my Cerinian weapon abilities. After that, they improved on the technology so that the magic wasn't necessary."

"So if were in a different galaxy, will we be able to make the video calls?" asked Nami.

"Yes you can," said Nicholas. "I've been able to do it many times to my family while in the Lylat. Now then, you're going to want to strap yourselves in; it can be a bit of a bumpy ride."

They all did that. Then Nicholas pressed a button on the control panel. A beam of white light shot towards a point and ran into an invisible object. Quickly, a large rainbow colored spiral appeared. Its shape was the size and shape of a black hole, but didn't have the gravitational properties of one.

"Wow, it's beautiful," whispered Fara.

"Now the fun really begins," said Luna.

"Here we go," said the vulpine, and drove the ship straight into the wormhole. When the ship disappeared, the hole vanished from view.

Inside the tunnel, the team saw the colors swirling around them as they shot forward. There was a sensation that kept coming up. It was like turbulence that an airplane from our world sometimes has to go through.

"How long does going through a worm hole take?" asked Bill.

"Five minutes at the most," said Cody.

"Look, you can already see the end of the tunnel," said Ben, pointing ahead. Everyone looked and saw he was right. The mother ship came out of the other end. When the vehicle was completely out, the worm hole closed.

"Now I know that this is a bit of a detour, but I wanted to show you guys the Sol system," said Nicholas. Everyone looked at him. "Look, even though most of you can't go to Cerinia, you can still see it. I want you to see it. And to also see what a Gas Sphere looks like." The others turned around to look out the cockpit window.

They spotted a clear white planet in the distance. "That is Koed," their leader said. "One of the two Gas Spheres, its color comes from the high Carbon content. Now look to your left."

They did so and saw a blue planet. "That is Cerinia," said the vulpine. To those who had never seen it thought it looked like Corneria, only more wilder looking. They also saw an object near it which they assumed to be its moon.

"Where's the other Gas Sphere?" asked Katt.

"Want a quick look?" asked Nicholas with a grin. "Okay." He hit the accelerator, and the mother ship rocketed past Cerinia. In a little bit, the team could see another white planet.

"That is Lustus; its color comes from the high Argon content," explained the vulpine. He then turned the ship around and drove it towards another section of the system. Once again he hit that same button which shot out the beam of white light. It caused another worm hole to appear. Without another word, the mother ship went in.

Five minutes later, they were out. Nicholas pulled up a map on the main display screen in the room.

"Since we don't have the time to see each planet, I figured this is the next best thing." He pointed with a laser pointer at the top left and top right corner of the map. "There are two more worm holes, one in each area. The one on the left goes to Sauria, the other goes to Corneria." He moved the pointer down.

"In between and a bit low of the holes is one of the three planets that supports life; Titus. The smaller object going around it is its moon. Titus is a farming and mining planet. Most of Eladard's produce, gems, and metals come from this planet. But what's interesting about it is that the mines can refill themselves of the taken ore if the area is left alone for one month."

"That's impossible; it takes centuries for that to happen," said Miyu.

"Normally yes," the vulpine responded. "But it has magical properties that keep it from running out of the metals and gems that we get from it. We don't know why." He then pointed to a blue planet with his pointer.

"That is the Gas Sphere Doru. It's blue because of the high Nitrogen content." He then shined the laser on a yellow planet. "That one is the other Gas Sphere called Aberon. It's yellow because of the high Sulfur content." He then indicated a sea blue planet.

"That is the water planet named Edda. There is no land on the planet what so ever. So the people living there have to live on floating towns and underwater ones. They make a living by fishing, and most of Eladard's sea food comes from Edda. But the species living there are careful not to over fish." The vulpine then moved to the biggest object on the map.

"That's the Lunar system's sun," said Nicholas. He then shined the laser on the last object. It was a green and blue planet. "That is Eladard. Notice that like Titus, it has a moon as well."

"I've missed everyone," said Cody.

"It's nice to finally be back home," said Ben. Everyone else just looked at Eladard as Nicholas drove the ship to it. They were excited, but a little nervous at the same time.

"I'm going to let you know that you will see unusual coloring on the species," said their leader. "There will also be ones that you've never seen in the Lylat system. But there's nothing to worry or be afraid of."

The planet got closer, and those who had never seen it before thought that it was about the same size as Corneria. The mother ship then stopped and began to orbit the planet.

"Before we go down there, there are more things you need to know. It will not take long. Also, I need to let our families and everyone down there know we're here. I'm thankful to all of you for being patient." He then brought up a map of the planet.

"At the very top and bottom are the North and South Poles," Nicholas explained. "Only wild animals live there since it's too cold for species. Below the North Pole is the Haranac Ocean. Below that is Dalgon, where most of the species live. Below Dalgon is the Bay Ocean." The team mates who hadn't been to Eladard were able to keep up with the vulpine's explanation.

"Finally, there are four islands that you can see below Dalgon. They are from left to right; Asher, Darlim, Kitan, and Marna. Only species live on Asher; the rest are populated by wild animals. But species from Asher and Dalgon go there to get raw materials found nowhere else on the planet," explained Nicholas. Then he pulled up a map of Asher.

"Right in the middle of the island is a huge, dry area called the Out Back. Only wild animals live in that area. But the ends of Asher are where the species live," said the vulpine. "What's interesting is the fact that the way they talk is different on the left and right sides."

"What do you mean?" asked Katt.

"I mean that they have an accent," said Nicholas. "Here's how the ones on the left talk." He changed his voice to sound like it had an English accent. "And here's how the species on the right talk." Nicholas changed his voice so that he had an Australian accent.

"But other than that, they speak English like us," said the vulpine switching back to his normal voice. The others except for the robot, Ben, and Cody stared at Nicholas. "Look, I'm not making this up; they really do talk like that."

He then pulled up a map of Dalgon. "At the very top of the content are the Glaceia Mountains. A river called the Zana River flows down them on the right side to Gomera Lake," said Nicholas. "South west of them is Sana Forest. Below that are the Borneo Mountains. The area that is located south of that is Borneo."

"In the middle of Sana Forest and Gomera Lake is the capital of Dalgon; Teirm. In the middle of the city, as you can see is a castle. That's where the high king and high queen of Eladard live and rule the planet. Below the lake and to the left is Skyfall. To the right of the lake is the city of Karsnic."

"Now look at that dashed line that's right in the middle of the content. That's an imaginary one that we call an equator. Right below it on the left side of Dalgon is the Benevo Tropical Rain Forest. Far to the south of that is Firya. And below that is a special area that has stadiums for racing and other sports."

"A little bit to the south east of Firya is the city of Peablo. On the right of Firya is a water and amusement park called Six Planets. Next to the park are the Dason Mountains. You can see that there are passages in them that lead to the Dason Desert. There is a river flowing from the mountains, and right next to it is the city of Dason. The river is called the Dason River, and it flows all the way to the Bay Sea. But it does split into two different paths. The part of it heading to the right goes to the Varden Caves."

"Right below the equator on the right is the Zomba Savanna. Inside it is the city of Zomba. To the south of these two areas is the city of Bero, which has a mine south of it called the Bero Mines. Finally, far below it is the city of Belfino."

Nicholas turned to look back at his team mates. "Was that too much information?" Everyone shook their heads. "That's good," said the vulpine. "I'll tell you more about each area and city when we visit them, and what kinds of species live there when we go. We'll even visit Asher. For now, we'll head to Teirm and say hi to my folks."

"Wait, what about that area?' asked Amanda. She pointed to a spot on the map that was south of Six Planets. Nicholas looked and got a dark look on his face.

"That is Uden," he simply said. But Fara could see that there was something else with Nicholas. Like there was anger radiating from his body. But it disappeared a second latter.

X

The mother ship made its way down to Teirm. Everyone who had never been there thought it looked a lot like Corneria city. They saw some of the other areas and cities, right in the areas they had been on the map along the way. While this was going on, Nicholas was making a call on his phone to someone.

"Okay, we'll see you in a bit," said the vulpine and hung up after a bit of talking.

Nicholas drove the vehicle to a section of the city that had huge houses, away from the downtown area. "Did you live in one of those?" asked Fara.

"Yes," the vulpine replied. "My grandfather that was married to Jeanette, invested in all the money he ever earned while working on the council of 13. It's one of the highest paying jobs because it's very important."

"Wait… was?" asked Luna.

"He's not around anymore," Nicholas explained. "He died when I was little. It's okay though since I didn't know him too well. But I've heard many good things about him. My grandmother helped him with his work when he came home in the evenings. So she knows how the job works. When he died, everyone voted for her to take his place."

"What was his name?" asked Miyu.

"Jack," Nicholas responded. "Then my other grandparents did investing when they were young. So now, they don't have to worry about money. My dad is a teacher at one of the special schools. That's another job that pays well. My mother works at insurance."

He then moved the ship towards one of the houses that had an empty space next to it. It looked like the one near Fara's home back on Corneria. Nicholas got the mother ship to that area and pressed a button on the control panel. The ship transformed back into a house shape like before when Star Flight stayed on Corneria.

"Now then, just leave all your things on here," said the vulpine. "We'll live on the ship during our stay on Eladard. Today, we'll just see our families. Tomorrow, I, Ben, and Cody will begin to show you around Eladard."

After relieving themselves, the team walked off the ship. "They're all inside of my house," said Nicholas. Now that they were so close, Fara was feeling a bit nervous. What kind of foxes would Nicholas's family be? The vixen found herself walking behind Wire. The three robots were going to visit to. The team approached the front porch.

"I'll let Cody point out Nami, and Ben point out Lucy,"said Nicholas. "I'll introduce the rest of the team." Suddenly, the front door opened, and the next thing everyone knew was Nicholas, Cody, and Ben in the arms of their family. The others stood back and allowed them to have this moment.

Lucy just took a look at the two hares who were hugging Ben. The female one was about Lucy's height, but had grey fur, like her son. His father, on the other hand had white fur, and orange colored eyes. The older male was the exact height as Ben with both of them standing at 6'0.

Meanwhile, Nami observed Cody's parents. His mother had brown fur, but golden colored eyes. His father was had jet black fur, but his eye color was green. Cody really did look a lot like his father.

As for Fara, she saw that Nicholas's had the biggest family out of the three. Her eyes lingered on the older vixen with yellow hair. Fara then blinked hard to make sure she was seeing things correctly. She took a look again. It wasn't her imagination. Nicholas, and the older vixen, who Fara assumed to be his mother, looked so much alike. They could pass as twins. Their hair color was the same, eye color, even their faces were the exact same shape. The only difference was their height. Nicholas was an inch taller than her.

Fara then took a look at the older male vulpine, who she guessed was Nicholas's father. They were the same height, and he was powerfully built, and had no hair unlike his oldest son. The older male seemed like one that could be relied on.

The elder vixen next caught Fara's eyes. She had short, grey hair. The young vixen could see the wrinkles on the elder's muzzle and paws. But she looked alright.

The youngest vulpine was the next one to get Fara's eye gaze who guessed that this must be Nicholas's little brother. This one looked more like Nicholas's dad. He too had no hair, and was already beginning to look like his father. He was a couple of inches shorter than his older sibling. This one seemed to have the look of one who likes to have fun.

Finally, Fara noticed a green vixen with long green hair and light blue colored eyes. She didn't look like Nicholas's sister. Fara assumed that it must be his brother's girlfriend. He certainly was lucky; the green vixen was beautiful.

The families then stepped apart. "Welcome back, all of you," said Nicholas's dad.

"We've missed you so much," said Nicholas's mom.

"I know," the vulpine replied. His parents then looked and saw the team.

"Let's not forget more importantly our guests," said the older vulpine. "Welcome to Eladard. We hope that your stay here is enjoyable. My name is Vincent McCoy. This is Linden, my wife." He indicated the vixen with yellow hair. "My youngest son, Lucas." The vulpine who looked like his dad nodded. "My mother-in-law, Jeanette." The elder vixen smiled and nodded her head. "And Sarah Barren." The green vixen just smiled.

The black otter then stepped up. "I am Trevor," he said. "And this is my wife, Taylor." The brown otter smiled, and placed an arm around Trevor.

"I am James," said the hare. "My wife's name is Nicole." He indicated the female hair.

"So who are these teammates of yours?' asked Vincent. Ben spoke up.

"Mom, dad; this is Lucy Hare." She came up so his parents could get a better look. They thought that this girl still looked nice, just like when they saw her the first time. James and Nicole couldn't help but notice the look of pride in their son's eyes as he introduced her. They wondered in the back of their minds if Ben liked this girl. Lucy shock paws with his parents.

"Dad, mom; this is Nami Sheika," said Cody, indicating her. Trevor and Taylor thought that this female river otter was really pretty. And the look in their son's eyes had love to them as he introduced her. Taylor felt a smile come up on her face. She could tell that her son liked this girl. Nami shock her paws with them.

"And now it's my turn," said Nicholas. "Everyone, these are the rest of the team mates; Bill Grey, Katt Monroe, Amanda, Dash Bowman, Yuki Flower, Fay Spaniel, Miyu Lynx, and Luna McCay." As each name was said, they would nod their heads. The parents thought that they all looked like nice people. But the vulpine's family couldn't see a vixen in the group.

"And finally, this is Fara Phoenix," said Nicholas. The said girl came out from behind Wire. Nicholas's family couldn't help but think that Fara looked beautiful. She was about Lucas's height at 5'5. And she carried herself with grace and pose. Linden felt a smile creeping up on her muzzle. Fara looked like a nice, sweet girl just as she had seen before when Nicholas showed his parents pictures of the vixen. Somebody like her would be perfect for the older vixen's son. Not just in general, but Linden felt that this girl could remind her son what love was. Especially since his heart had been broken very badly. Fara shock her paws with each of them.

"Now then, let's get in the house," said Vincent and he lead everyone in.

X

Throughout the day, the team members who didn't know the families got to learn some things about them. Nicholas, Ben, and Cody spent a lot of the time talking to the parents, Sarah, Jeanette, and younger sibling of the vulpine about what had been happening for the last year. They didn't say anything about the year before going to Rocket High, because their families already knew what had been happening. It had been the same with Dash's parents.

Nicholas then played some of the songs that the band had performed, including when Fara, Miyu, Fay, and Luna did their songs on the TV in the living room. They kept the families entertained. This took most of the morning. After lunch, Nicholas, Ben, and Cody took their team mates on a tour of their homes. The three males lived next to each other, so it wasn't a problem. They even showed their bedrooms.

Later on that night, the team stayed to eat the barbecue dinner with the families. Everyone had a good time, laughing and talking. During this meal, the team got to learn a little bit more about the new people they just met that morning. What Fara found the most interesting was with Lucas and Sarah. The vixen learned that the two had known each other since they were kits, and that Sarah had always been found of Nicholas's brother. It wasn't until Lucas was 14 that he began to see her differently. Then at age 16, he asked her out to Sarah's delight.

During the meal, the parents were watching their children interacting with some of the team members. Ben's folks couldn't help but smile when they saw their son looking at Lucy. The look Ben had in his eyes had a spark to them. But Lucy did to when she looked at the young male hare when he wasn't looking at her. The two could tell that their son and this girl either really liked each other, or were in love with the other.

Cody's parents also noticed the same thing with their son and Nami. The look that the two young river otters had when they looked at each other when the other wasn't looking was the same as it was for Ben and Lucy. His mom and dad could tell that the two really liked each other.

Vincent, on the other hand was trying to read the minds of all the other team members that he had just met today. He discovered that each had the mind blocking training. It put a smile to his face knowing that his son had done a good job.

Meanwhile, Linden was watching Fara interact with Nicholas. She could tell that this girl was in love with her son. The older vixen began to think of cute future things. Linden could tell already that she liked Fara. But she noticed that Nicholas didn't seem to have the glint in his eyes that Fara had when she looked at him. It seemed that what he said about Fara being like his sister was true. But time might change his opinion.

Linden also noticed that this Luna girl, from the way she acted around Nicholas was also in love with him. The vixen also saw that Fara and Luna seemed to be in a competition for Nicholas. Linden hoped this wouldn't lead to something bad.

All too soon, the team had to get back to the ship. They had skipped today's training. So tomorrow, they would have to resume it. But during the afternoon during the next day, they would explore the down town area of Teirm. They could do this because tomorrow wasn't a work out day.

As Star Flight was walking back, Fara, Nami, and Lucy got stopped by Nicholas, Ben, and Cody's mom. The three older women took the young ones to the side, away from everyone else. The conversation that Cody and Ben's mom had with Lucy and Nami was exactly the same as it had been with Yuki and Dash's mom. But Fara's was different.

"Before you go, I want to say that it's so nice that Nicholas met you. You're a sweet girl, and I think that you're perfect for him," said Linden.

"I know," said Fara. "I know he's single, and I want to be with him. But until his opinion changes of me, that's not going to happen."

"Just give him some time," said Linden. "I'm sure he'll fall for you."

"Hurry up! You need to get to bed early tonight!" Nicholas shouted form the ship's entrance.

"I promise if we get together, I'll make him the happiest vulpine in the universe," said Fara. She and the other two then went back to the ship, ready for what every tomorrow would hold.


	7. Chapter 7

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 7: Exploring the Northern Part of Dalgon

Author's notes: If you don't know what a species looks like, look it up

X

The next day came, and after the training for the day was complete, the team met outside the mother ship. Nicholas was proud and impressed at how fast the seven were growing in their skills. It wouldn't be long before they were at the other team member's levels. And even when they reached that point, they would still need to do this to keep their skills up. When it came to the instruments that Fara and the others who had been given, they were getting better and better. The vulpine knew that sometime in the future Star Flight would have to put on a concert. Especially since he had learned how to play the bass for the song, Into the Night.

"Okay, here's the plan," he said when everyone had gathered. The robots were staying behind to watch the ship. "We'll start by showing off Teirm. Then we'll move on to Borneo and then Karsnic. We won't go to Sana Forest, Glaceia Mountains, Zana River, Gomera Lake, and Skyfall until latter. This is because I need to find the time for us to go to those places since ten of the Elemental Kings and Queens live there. I'll wait for them to hear that me, Cody, and Ben are back. Also, we won't visit the castle were the High King and Queen live for the same reasons. We'll see them last of all. We they have summoned us we'll go to where they are. It will also apply to the Elemental Kings and Queens that live south of the equator. "

"Now, I will warn everyone that the three of us are known pretty well by a lot of people, but not all. However, all part Cerinians on this planet know each other. So don't be surprised if males and females stop us to talk or what not. But honestly, I don't care if every female on this planet were to rush me; it doesn't mean a thing to me." Fara could see in his eyes that he was telling the truth.

"Now that we've got that out of the way, let's get the cars." The group decided to split up. Nicholas would take Fara, Luna, Bill, and Fay in one, Ben would handle Lucy, Dash, Yuki, and Miyu, and Cody would handle Nami, Katt, and Amanda. Their parents had given their children lists of things to get in Teirm. So Nicholas, Cody, and Ben figured that this was the perfect way for the others to learn about the city since they would be living there for a good amount of time.

Nicholas allowed Luna to have shot gun for the first part, much to Fara's anger and jealousy. But then, the vulpine said that the two girls could switch with each stop. He didn't offer the seat to Bill and Fay. Nicholas could tell that the two would rather sit next to each other. By this point, the vulpine suspected that Bill liked Fay, Ben liked Lucy, Cody liked Nami, and that Dash liked Yuki. It was the same for Katt and Amanda.

The seven and others who had never been on the planet thought that Teirm looked almost like Corneria City. They saw many species, some types they recognized, others they didn't. They could also hear them speaking English, but many spoke in words they'd never heard before. Nicholas, Ben, and Cody explained to them that the unfamiliar words were different ways of communicating called languages. The ones spoken on the planet were English, Spanish, French, and Cerinian (Which is like Japanese from out world). Another one called Saurian was another language spoken that was the language of that planet. Because one of the wormholes lead to the planet in the Lylat, species from Eladard would take trips there. So they had to know how to communicate.

The last language spoken on the planet was Ancient Cerinian (it's like the ancient language from the book Eragon). This was used only in rituals and ceremonies. Nicholas, Ben, and Cody, to nobody's surprise were fluent in all of these languages since they had lived on Eladard all their lives. And to demonstrate, they said the phrase, "Hi, how are you?" in all of them. They didn't ask for the others to learn these languages right away. But they would have to eventually since they would be staying here for a long time. These were also spoken on all the planets of the Sol System and on Cerinia.

X

It took a few days to fully explored Teirm. The team was able to see the castle, but only from a distance. The ones who had never been on Eladard couldn't help but wonder what kind of species the High King and Queen were that lived there. Nicholas, Ben, and Cody hadn't given a single hint. Nor had they said anything about the Elemental Kings and Queens. There were a couple of places that were closed and that the team couldn't get in.

Fara found Teirm reminded her so much of her home back on Corneria. The vixen felt that she could live here, despite the fact that she wasn't even a citizen. She and the others saw other part Cerinians like Nicholas of different species; the males had the spiral tattoos on their arms, and the females had the lines on their arms. They also saw the line tattoos on some of the males' ankles like Nicholas had on his. But they didn't see the spirals on the female's upper legs like Nicholas had told them. In order to see those, the females would have to wear something like a bathing suit.

Whenever they got out the cars for a task or visit to a building or area, the team got a lot of looks from both males and females. Although Nicholas acted like nothing was going on, the others noticed. Amanda notice some stares from the male amphibians. She chose to ignore them, even though she couldn't help but feel a little flattered. It gave her a bit of a warm feeling to think that guys found her attractive. But most of the looking was happening with everyone else.

It was a different story with Katt and Miyu. The two noticed the stares from the male members of the cat family, and it made them uncomfortable. For Katt it was mainly because her heart was set on getting with Falco. As for Miyu, the only thing she could see was that the males wanted to get in her pants. So they did their best to ignore the eye-fucking that was being directed at them.

Meanwhile, Dash and Yuki were walking side by side, and the same applied to Ben and Lucy, Cody and Nami, Bill and Fay, The four males saw and loved the looks of envy and jealousy that the other guys in the street shot them when they walked by with the girls by their sides. On more than one occasion, Cody, Dash, and Ben had to struggle to not glare back at the other males to tell them to back off. And Bill had to invoke self control to not growl back at the other males in the streets as though he was claiming Fay. But sometimes they would slip in their control and the glares or growls would happen.

Little did they know that the females who walked next to Bill, Dash, Cody, and Ben notice the glares that they sent to the other males. Fay couldn't help but hear the occasional growl of protection that Bill let out to other guys. And the four couldn't help but love it. So they got closer to the males that they were walking with to make the message clear that they were interested only in the guy next to them. This got them jealous looks from other females in the streets, and they shot glares at them.

Finally, Fara was walking on Nicholas's right and Luna was on his left. The two females notice that the vulpine got a lot of looks from females; both part Cerinian and non ones. They both glared at the females, and couldn't help but let out a growl at them; one to tell them to fuck off and that Nicholas was theirs. The females, noticing and hearing these actions sent evil glares right back.

Finally, Nicholas did notice the glares out of the corners of his eyes, and heard the growls even though he acted like they weren't happening. But he quickly dropped the act when he noticed that other males in the street were noticing Fara and Luna. And were rapping them with their eyes. He sent evil looks at them, and couldn't help but let out the occasional growl of protection. When he realized what he was doing, he was bewildered.

"_Why am I doing that?_" he wondered. It had to be because Fara and Luna were like his sisters. He was just looking out for them because he didn't want them to get hurt. However, he didn't realize that the vixen notice his actions and heard his growls. It made her heart melt to think that Nicholas was doing that and protecting her. The love Fara had for Nicholas increased even more. It was the same for Luna.

X

Borneo was next on the list, and it was funny to see the reactions of the others who had never been to this area. From the buildings, environment, to species, it was an amazing sight. Nicholas, Ben, and Cody showed pretty much everything there. The group heard English being spoken there but also Cerinian.

Fara and the others felt like they had stepped into a story book. This was one place that they wouldn't forget. The buildings were built like the ones found from our world from that content, and the styles of clothing was very different. But Dash and Yuki realized that out of all the team members, they could live here and felt like they belonged in this area of Eladard. Especially when they saw one species that lived there that the two snow monkeys could relate to. The ones they saw were Macaques (Which is another name for their species). When they first spotted a group of them Dash turned to Yuki and whispered, "Oh my god; our family." This caused her to giggle.

Nicholas explained that there were some avians that lived here that didn't live anywhere else. He explained that most of the feathered species lived at Skyfall, but some stuck to other areas. Like the Peacocks, White Belly Sea Eagles, and Cranes that lived at Borneo. Some of these birds also had the Cerinian symbol on their bodies.

"Yes, even reptiles, primates, amphibians, and birds can be part ones like me," said the vulpine. The group saw this to be true when they saw some Orangutans and Proboscis Monkeys with the spirals and lines somewhere on their bodies.

Two species that looked familiar to the group was tigers and a type of canine that Nicholas explained were called Dholes. The Dholes looked similar to Bill and Fay and they couldn't help but take a curious look. As for Miyu, when she saw the tigers, it was like looking at a bunch of Nates.

There were two species that the others found impressive looking. The first were Komodo Dragons. "And you thought that dragons didn't exist," said Nicholas when the others got over their shock. "These guys are very strong and much faster than they look. But despite that, their actually nice guys and very loyal to their friends and family. A few of them are part Cerinians."

They also saw some pandas as well. This shortest ones were 6'1; the tallest at 6'6. They seemed to tower over the shorter members. Again, Nicholas said that these guys were also much faster than they looked.

The team also went to many shrines, some tea leaf and rice fields, areas of the Borneo Mountains and performances. Luckily, the others had Nicholas, Ben, and Cody to translate for them. They even introduced the others to rice, sushi, and other foods that they had never seen before, and to try out with using chop sticks. Fara and the others liked the food.

They also saw different styles of fighting, and weapons that looked like nothing they'd ever seen before along with markets with musicians playing music found from Asia from our world. The team even went up into the Borneo Mountains to see the beautiful scenery and to go to the natural hot springs found there.

X

Finally Karsnic was the last city in the north part of Dalgon to visit. The buildings here were like the ones found in Paris from our world. Some of the styles of cloths that the species wore were a bit different than what the newcomers were used to. But otherwise, many of the same species found in the Lylat were familiar to them. There was English being spoken, but also French as well.

The shape that the bread came in was like nothing the newcomers had seen. But it was very good; everyone who hadn't been here thought so. They saw painters out in the streets painting, children roller balding, and many markets selling various wares. Even musicians were playing French music in public outdoor areas.

The city was a romantic one as Nicholas called it. He said that a lot of people from Eladard came here for honeymoons and vacations with loved ones. There was so many things to do; from eating food from some of the finest chiefs, to plays, and among other activities.

Two species found here caught Bill and Fay's attention; Bichon Frises, and Poodles. They had never seen them in the Lylat. They couldn't help but shoot curious glances whenever one would show up.

The two buildings that really got the other's attention were huge churches called cathedrals. Nicholas explained that they took a couple of years to complete, even with the technology available to do so. But once completed, they looked spatacular. They even went inside one to see the interior which was beautiful.

X

"That is all of the north for now," said Nicholas when they had finished with Karsnic. "Now lead's head south.


	8. Chapter 8

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 8: Exploring the Southern Part of Dalgon

"Now that the north has been explored, it's time to go south," said the vulpine. "We won't go yet to Firya and Dason since the last of the Elemental Kings and Queens live there for the same reasons that I said for the other areas that we didn't visit in the north."

"Our first stop is the Benevo Rain Forest," said Nicholas, as he drove the mother ship to that area. He landed the ship near the edge of the jungle.

"Now for this area and the others on this part of the content, you're going to want to have short sleeved shirts and shorts because of the climate here. Let's go to our rooms, change, and meet outside the ship in about ten minutes." The team left the main control and briefing room to do just that.

Fara kept her purple shirt on but took everything else off, and changed into sneakers and green shorts. As soon as the vixen went out of the ship, the humidity hit her in the muzzle. She had never been to a tropical rain forest before, so this was something new.

After the rest had joined up with her, Nicholas led the way. Not five minutes had passed, and already the team was beginning to sweat. Fortunately it wasn't raining; yet. The team could hear many sounds coming from inside the forest.

Before heading in, Nicholas took the group to a patch of trees at the edge. The plants looked like small palm trees with a gem right at the top and in the middle of the plant. The team had seen these in all the areas of Dalgon they had visited so far, but had not seen any up close.

"I want to show you these things first," said Nicholas. "These are known as magic plants, and they're very important to Cerinians and part ones because of the energy gems growing on them."

He picked a red colored one off of one of the plants and the small tree fell to the ground. "Don't worry; they grow right back after a bit of time." He passed the gem around to the others who hadn't been to Dalgon. "These gems provide energy for Cerinians and part ones to use the power of their weapons. Without any, I wouldn't be able to use any special attacks with mine."

He went on to collect more energy gems as the others passed around the one they had. When everyone had gotten a look, they gave it back to the vulpine. "Now I'm going to show you something cool. This is the perfect time to do so since I've been meaning to do so since we got here." He closed his eyes, and suddenly, the gems Nicholas had collected transformed into light and went into the ring on his finger. Everyone except Ben and Cody were shocked.

"What happened?" asked Miyu.

"I simply absorbed the energy the gems had into my ring," Nicholas explained. "It will act as a backup source when the energy in my weapon runs out. Remember when I showed it to you? Did you notice the two emeralds on it?" Everyone nodded their heads. "That is where the energy is stored."

"You see, my ancestors discovered that gemstones have the ability to store this energy. This is why all Cerinian weapons to this day have two gems somewhere on it. There is a limit to how much can be stored, which is why Cerinians and part ones wear other jewelry that have gemstones some where one it. That's why I've kept Luna's Christmas gift so that I could have a back up source."

"But those on your ring are fake," said the she wolf. "How can they store this energy?"

"Good question; because even though they're fake, they can still work as energy holders," said the vulpine. "Any gemstone will work. From lesser ones, real ones, to fake gems, they all can do the trick. The earrings that Cody gave to Nami that have fake emeralds could work. So can the jewelry I gave to Luna. Even that necklace I gave you Fara will do the trick."

The vixen and the others just took this information in. "Can you sense how much energy you've got to use?' Fara finally asked.

"Yes I can," said Nicholas. "Right now the gems on my weapon and ring are completely full. Now that I've got that taken care of, let's head in."

X

The thing that was amazing about this area besides the species was the way that the buildings and roads were built. Instead of clearing the trees, they had been built right with them. The only vehicles to get around were little scooters that ran on battery and solar power. Nicholas explained that the reason that things were like this was so that the wild animal's homes would be left alone.

"You'll also notice that like the wild animals, different species live in different layers here. The birds and monkeys tend to live near the top at the canopy, the amphibians live at the mid layers, and the cats live around the floor."

Starting at the bottom, the team saw Ocelots, Jaguars, and other mammals. Once again, Katt and Miyu got many stares from the male felines. But they were ones of curiosity instead. For those who were part Cerinians, the females gave Nicholas admiring looks. But the vulpine ignored them.

Going to the mid layers, everyone saw many brightly colored amphibians. One that really stood out were Poison Arrow Frogs. Nicholas explained that most of the frogs here had a natural defense to produce poison that they would cover their weapons (except for fire arms) with. But it was only done when fighting against enemies in times of war.

Finally in the canopy, the team saw Macaws, Toucans, Spider Monkeys, Harpy Eagles, and Uakari Monkeys. They even saw strange avians called Hoatzins. Nicholas explained that Uakari Monkeys had naturally red colored faces; the redder the better to show how healthy they were. When they blush, their faces take on a brownish hue.

The team also saw the plantations and orchards were fruits and other materials were farmed. Those areas were fenced off, and what was interesting was that the species who worked at them rotated between planets and trees to let them revive themselves.

X

It took a few days to fully explore the Benevo Rain Forest and see the entertainment there. The team even got caught in the rain on the last day and had to explore in rain gear. But nobody minded at all.

"Alright, next is the Spanish city of Pablo," said Nicholas. He didn't want the others to see Firya, so he drove the ship over the Six Planets amusement park. The vulpine explained that he would take the team there latter after the areas down here were explored.

The buildings were designed like those found in Mexico from our world. The style of clothing was also found from that country. The team heard English but also Spanish being spoken in the streets. Fortunately, there were other species wearing shirts and shorts, so the team didn't stand out. One type caught the other's eyes. There were Chihuahuas here and there, and the tallest ones were only 5'6. Nicholas explained that like frogs and toads were stout, Chihuahuas were somewhat short canines.

"They belong in the same family group like Bill and Fay," he said. "But they're much stronger than they look, and very fast."

Spanish music was being played in the streets and in the markets areas. "Do you recognize the style?" asked Nicholas. The seven and others listened and realized why it sounded familiar.

"This sounds like the music you played on the speakers on the ship during the second concert on Corneria," said Fay. Then she realized something. "Did any of the others know about this?' She was remembering how Bill had told them in the past that this music came from a different planet.

"No; I only told the others who hadn't been here that it was from my home planet. That's all I said," said Nicholas. "I wanted to keep my team mates in the dark so that way when they got here, they would recognize the type of music."

Again, it took a few days to explore the city. But the team had come at a perfect time. The others on the team had begun to show comedians to the seven. And two of the ones that had been shown were performing live at Peablo. Nicholas had managed to get tickets to see both of them: Pablo Drancisco and Gabriel Liglesias in theaters. A species had to be at least 18 to get in, but that wasn't a problem for any of the team members. Everyone on the Star Flight team thought they were hilarious. So this was a wonderful experience along with eating the Spanish like foods.

X

The next area was the Zomba Savanna and the city called Zomba that was in the middle of it. The team didn't go to the racing and stadium area of the content because no events were being held there at the moment. So nothing was going on there.

"What's interesting to know about this area is the seasons that happen there; wet and dry. During the dry season, it doesn't rain, while it does during the wet. The city gets its water during the non raining season from the ocean nearby by filtering the liquid," Nicholas explained.

They landed near the outskirts of Zomba. Some species lived in the savanna, but most lived in the city. There were a lot of species found here that the others had never seen before. Although they spoke English, many talked like they were from the hood.

Two types of birds really stood out to the others; Ostriches and Flamingos. For the first type Nicholas explained could grow to be 6'2 to 6'7, making them one of the tallest species found on Eladard. As for the Flamingos, the vulpine said that the females were darker pink and the males were lighter pink.

The two species that the team recognized were the lions and bush babies. Unlike the ones found in our world, these bush babies come out during the day, and sleep during the night.

The team also saw Crocodiles, Hyenas, Cheetahs, Jackals, Baboons, Leopards, Chimpanzees, and Gorillas. The primates walked on two legs instead of all fours like their real world counter parts.

African like music was playing in the streets, and beautiful works of art and jewelry was being sold along with other wares in the markets. The team even went a bit into the surrounding savanna to see the wild life.

X

A bit south of that was the small mining town of Biro, which was mainly inhabited by moles. The tallest ones were only 5'5.

Nicholas explained that even though Titus did most of the mining, there were some metals that could only be found on Eladard. But like Titus, this area had the same rejuvenating properties. The team also saw the entrance to the mine were they saw mole workers going in and out.

The next stop was the Varden Caves, a popular tourist destination. Star Flight spent some of the time exploring the inside and seeing the beautiful structures and crystals found inside.

X

Only two areas were left; Uden and Belfino. The team went to the second location first and it was amazing. All kinds of species were found here. Nicholas explained that although somewhat expensive, it was a popular place to go for vacation.

One species found here that was new were alligators. But despite their looks, they were actually friendly. The team also saw two types of sea birds; Sea Gulls and Pelicans.

The team spent the days exploring the huge city, swimming in the water, exploring the coral reefs nearby, and trying seafood. This time there were rental oxygen breathers and flippers to use. So the team could fully enjoy the reefs unlike last time they'd been to one. They even went into a couple of clubs and bars that allowed species 18 and over to go in during their evenings in some stylish clothes. It was here that the others finally learned about liquids that tasted like alcohol.

"I don't know the process of how the drinks are made," said Nicholas. "All I know is that you can drink gallons of any of these, and you won't get drunk. Besides being used in these kinds of places, these beverages are used by people who want to quit drinking. And it works"

Nicholas, Ben, and Cody had no problem with any of them since the three had done this before. For Fara and the others, the vulpine suggested that they start with beverages that were made of fruit. "A lot of real alcoholic beverages are sweet," he said. "So these are the best to try."

The others could taste the alcohol in their drinks, but it was balanced out by the sweetness of the other ingredients. As they were trying their beverages, they saw other 18 year olds having many of the non alcoholic drinks. They saw that what Nicholas had said was true; none of them were getting drunk. It would take awhile, but eventually the others would get used to the taste of alcohol.

Finally, Uden was left.

"You really want to go there?' asked Nicholas when the others told him."It's just like Belfino, only smaller."

"I still want to," said Fara. The others all agreed with her.

"Okay, but I won't be able to go with you. I've got some business in Teirm that I need to take care of." As Nicholas said this, the others noticed that his eyes had mixed emotions. Ones of anger and hurt.

"I'll go in my fighter. When you're done, head back in the mother ship, and we'll meet up at my house," said the vulpine. He left not long after that.

"Is he alright?" asked Luna.

"Yeah," said Cody. He and Ben knew the real reason that Nicholas didn't want to go to Uden. But they would allow the vulpine to tell the others. After all, nobody on Eladard was allowed to talk about it for Nicholas's sake.

Uden was indeed like Belfino, but on a smaller scale. Bill and Fay loved this town. This seemed like a perfect place to live. If they could live anywhere else, this would be the place. It was here that Bill showed the team members that he could surf on the water. The ocean in this part was perfect for it. He did it mainly to impress Fay.

"So what do you think?" he asked all of them, but especially the collie after demonstrating.

"I think you just like to show off, suffer boy," she said in a teasing voice.

"Is that so?" asked the canine, sticking the board he had bought into the sand. "Then I say you're a crazy mechanic head." He said it to tease her.

X

The team stayed a couple of days before heading back. It seemed that the thing Bill and Fay had called the other was beginning to stick, like a nickname.

Pictures had been taken every where that Star Flight had gone to. Nicholas was shown a picture taken by Fay of Bill surfing. The vulpine never knew that the canine knew how to do it. He then made an announcement while they were going through the pictures.

"Now all that's left are the islands," said Nicholas. "But before that happens, there's some people I need to visit."


	9. Chapter 9

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 9: Meeting and Having Fun With Friends

Author's notes: Just a reminder that there are links with pictures of characters and areas to help in my profile.

X

Nicholas had told Lucas and Sarah before hand to tell all the friends that he, Cody, and Ben had left behind that they would met up with them latter. He figured by now that they had heard that the three were back. But he wanted those friends to be surprised.

On Friday, the team met up at Nicholas's house to see these friends at around noon. The team had trained that morning, but Nicholas decided to not make this day or the next a work out day. That way, he and the ones from Eladard could catch up with those they had left behind.

After lunch, the team, Lucas, and Sarah sat in the living room and talked. The green vixen sat on Lucas's lap; you could see how much the two enjoyed it. The others learned a little bit more about how the two had met. It was during the first grade that the two had seen each other. But Lucas, being only six at the time chose to hang out with boys. It wasn't until the fourth grade that Sarah thought Lucas looked cute. This lead to her having a crush on him that turned to love.

As for Lucas, it would be awhile until he turned 14. Then when he was thinking about options, he noticed Sarah. And couldn't help but notice that she had developed a lot physically. One thing lead to another, and after the homecoming dance at his school, Lucas managed to work up the courage to ask Sarah out.

They were still talking when the door bell rang. Sarah got off of Lucas so he could get it and returned with two wolves. One was a male with yellow colored eyes. He had a mixture of white and grey fur. He also had two, small red lines on his left check; just below the eye. The female had shoulder length, brown hair that she kept loose. Her fur was dark grey; almost black. She wore a necklace with a purple gem attached to it, and had beautiful green eyes. The two were holding paws.

"Mitch! Brooke!" said Nicholas with a smile on his face. He went over and hugged to two wolves. They wrapped their arms around him. They pulled back after a few moments.

"Damn Nicholas, you look good," said Mitch, the one with yellow eyes.

"It looks like that adventure you set out on has been good to you," said Brooke.

"It has," said the vulpine. "Let me introduce you to my team." He did so, and that was taken care of in a couple of minutes.

"Say, where's Reed and Hikari?" asked Nicholas when it was done. He knew those two were coming.

"Right here," said a voice. It belonged to another wolf, one who looked to be 13. Behind him was another female one. The male was all white; in fact, he looked a lot like Wolf from Star Wolf. The female one had a white and grey muzzle. But the face was red, and so was her shoulder length hair. Her ears at the bottom were white, but the tops were black. Nicholas went over and gave them a hug.

After the introductions had been done, the newcomers started to talk with the rest of Star Flight. They learned a bit about Mitch, Reed, Brooke, and Hikari. These four wolves were also part Cerinians like Nicholas, Lucas, and Sarah. Reed was the younger brother of Mitch by three years, and Hikari was a friend of his.

The two younger wolves had met in school, but being only 13, nothing was going on between them. But everyone could see that Hikari liked Reed. He just couldn't tell.

As for Mitch and Brooke, they had met Lucas and Sarah during the second grade. The two boys and girls had hit off right away and became good friends. Nicholas got to know them through his brother and Sarah. It wasn't until the fifth grade that Brooke began to take a romantic interest in Mitch. But he didn't notice. Then in the 9th grade, the lupine began to like her. Then when he was 16 at the homecoming dance, Lucas and Sarah who were there as dates saw Mitch kiss his date, Brooke. He then asked her out to the she wolf's joy. After that, these newcomers got to hear a little bit about what the team had been up to.

"So who else is coming?" asked Ben to Lucas after a bit.

"Well Kralie and Saria are," he said. "Oh; and Jazerc and Hui-Ying."

"Hui-Ying?!" asked Nicholas. Suddenly four more people came in. Two were reptiles and the others were pandas. One of the lizards had black hair and green skin. He had a couple of blue markings around his eyes which were colored brown. The female had green eyes and pale green, scaly skin. But that was just how her skin looked naturally. Her hair, which went to her mid back, was also the same color.

The male panda didn't look like one, even though he was one. His muzzle was white, while his face was black and had white eyebrows. His eyes were red, and had white hair. The female had short, pink hair and pink eyes. She looked like she was a delinquent.

Nicholas, although he wanted to greet the other three, knew he had to say hi to Hui-Ying first. He got up and walked nice and slowly over, an evil smile on his face. The female panda just regarded him with a scowl.

"What's wrong Hui-Ying?" he asked. "Afraid to greet the hand to hand combat master?"

"In your dreams Nicholas, but let's put it aside for now and enjoy ourselves since it's been over two years since you left," she responded.

"Fair enough," said Nicholas. He then turned to the other three with a wide grin. They all shared a group hug. After that was over, they came over.

"Who are these ladies and gentlemen?' asked the male lizard in an accent. It sounded like an Australian one.

"The newest members of my team," said Nicholas. He introduced them to the rest, and then pointed out who was who. The male lizard was Kralie and Saria was the female one. Hui-Ying was the pink haired panda, and Jazerc was the male one. Then the team learned a little about the four newcomers.

Saria also had an accent to like Kralie. They both lived on the right side of Asher, but had come as transfer students for a couple of years when Nicholas was in the 10th grade. They were also part Cerinians and were dating.

Jazerc and Hui-Ying had also been transfer students at the same time Kralie and Saria had been; except they had come from Borneo. Both of them were also part Cerinians, and she and Nicholas instantly had struck up a rivalry after learning that their weapons and fighting styles were very similar when they met. They had tried many times to prove who the better hand to hand combat was, and so far a result hadn't been determined. But the vulpine had gotten along very well with Jazerc. Nicholas couldn't help but notice that the two were cuddling on the couch they were sitting on.

"So you two are together, huh?" he asked.

"Yes, we are," said the female panda, blushing a bit but smiling.

"I'm happy for you," said the vulpine with a smile. Hui-Ying could see it in his eyes that he was telling the truth.

Everyone enjoyed the time spent with each other. They spent it watching songs that Star Flight had performed and doing jam sessions in the basement of Nicholas's house. Lucas, Mitch, and Reed knew how to play an instrument. The younger vulpine did drums, the older lupine did guitar, and the other did the electric keyboard. They found Miyu, Fara, Bill, and Fay to be more interesting when they learned of the instrument that those members of Star Flight Played. They had a lot of fun.

But Nicholas knew that more time would have to spent with these people so they could catch up. There was one, perfect way.

X

They all decided to go to the Six Planets amusement park on Eladard the next day. It opened at 9:30, so Nicholas told his team to get to bed early. They got their swimsuits ready. The park was in an area where it was hot, so it was perfect weather to go swimming at the water part of the park. Everyone would meet at the mother ship, and Nicholas would drive everyone there. The guests came at 8:00, and they were off.

They finally arrived at the amusement park, and it was packed already. Nicholas landed the ship and it transformed into its house mode near the parking lot. Everyone got out and headed to the ticket booth.

Nicholas had made arrangements to get a pass card so the group of 24 could get in. He showed the worker it.

"Oh very nice sir! An all access pass. With this, everything is free; tickets, rides, games, food, you name it. Just show the pass whenever you are going to do something," she said.

"Oh that's great!" said the vulpine. The ticket lady just smiled and giggled a bit. She then gave Nicholas 24 wristbands for his party. They all showed a little insignia of the pass; that showed that all of them were part of a group that had free access to everything. He handed one to everyone. The couples in the group were being cute and tied their girlfriend's on for them, which resulted in a small giggle for the females.

At first the group stayed together. Going on the rides together; roller coasters, spinning rides, and playing games. A couple hours later, they broke apart. The couples left to go ride something together and have lunch.

This left Reed, Hikari, and the team as a group. The others could see the red wolf trying to get something out of Reed. But he was not mature enough to notice her attempts.

Meanwhile, the rivalry between Fara and Luna for Nicholas was beginning to heat up a bit. Although he acted like there were two of him, it wasn't enough. Still, it didn't lead to anything.

Finally, those on the team who loved another member were having their cute, awkward moments. From accidentally brushing against the other, to having their fingers cross the other. It left those members embarrassed.

After a while they stumbled into a part of the park that was all big group games. Nicholas decided to call the rest of their group over. It took about 10 minute before they all showed up.

"What's the big idea bro?" Lucas asked somewhat annoyed.

"Check this out," said the vulpine as he shifted his head. Lucas followed and his eyes widened. They had a combat simulator of space, dog fights.

"Wow, looks fun! Let's go!" said Sarah as she dragged Lucas in; the rest of the group following. The group decided that they should team up with the boys against the girls. Both sides had newbies and experts, so they were evenly matched; despite the fact that there were more girls than guys.

Everyone knew that the couples would try to go after the other; it always was that way. Everyone fought and did their best trying to shoot their opponents down. The game lasted for 45 minutes before the guys managed to win barely.

"Good game everybody," Nicholas announced when it was over. He turned to the seven. "I can see how much you girls have improved by doing the real thing." That comment made them all smile. He then turned to Hui-Ying

"To bad I can't say the same for you." He had taken her out in the first ten minutes of the game.

"You got lucky; wanna go one more time? Let's duke it out right there." She pointed to what seemed a laser tag arena. Everyone walked in after getting their score cards from the flight simulator, and suited up in the armor and took a gun off the rack. Again, it was the guys against the girls. The goal was to see who could get the most points.

The teams started in different areas. When the go signal went off, the young species went in. Before long, laser fire was everywhere.

45 minutes later, they all took off the equipment, and walked out of the room. They saw that the girls had won this time. Nicholas also pointed out to the seven their scores when it came to accuracy and how many shots they had used. The results were incredible. "You'll be on my level in no time," he said. They got their score cards for this game.

After that at 2:30, the group went to the water area of the park. After changing into their bathing suits, the young ones went to have fun. The others finally got to see the spiral tattoos that part Cerinian females had on their upper legs. It looked like the ones that Nicholas had on his arms. They also saw Lucas's, Mitch's, Reed's, Kralie's, Jazerc's, and the other part Cerinian females's tattoos that were in their group.

The group had fun for awhile, enjoying the slides and pools there. Mitch and Brooke ended up having a big make out session under a waterfall at one of the pools. A lot of couples went there for that.

Soon it began to get a little late. After leaving the water area, they all decided to do one last activity. The couples went their own ways, while the team, Reed, and Hikari left to do something else. Lucas and Sarah were walking around to see what they wanted to do, with the vixen holding her vulpine boyfriend's arm. She then pointed at something.

"Oh Lucas, let's go on that ride!" He looked over to see a Tunnel of Love ride; he had a smile on his muzzle. They walked over and got into a boat in the shape of a little cruiser. It started and went through the water. It was dark inside the cave, obviously edging couples to get closer together. There was a hologram projection of the galaxies and star systems, with shooting star's everywhere. It was breath taking; the young couple was in awed. It suddenly shifted to a much more horrific scene. With scary and spooky sounds, it would get quiet for a moment, and then completely shift to something horrific. Sarah was holding onto Lucas tightly, ducking her head into his chest whenever something scary popped out.

It then shifted again to a romantic intake. The entire tunnel was lighted with romantic scenes. Floating hearts, shooting stars, and small furry animal species cuddling together. It projected two little butterflies flying around closely to one another. They flew in front of Sarah; she was in awed with the cute scene. She rested her head on Lucas's shoulder and looked up to him. He then looked to her. They met each other's gaze; Lucas's emerald eyes meeting with Sarah's light blue, piercing each other's soul. They didn't realize the fact that they were slowly getting closer together, until their noses touched.

They closed their eyes and met each other's lips. Immediately Sarah nearly jumped onto Lucas, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer to her, deepening it. He wrapped his arms around her waist slightly lifting her up onto his lap to get closer. Their kiss lasted for several moments until the ride was nearly over. They finally broke apart, slowly but surely. Both out of breath, Sarah continued to sit on Lucas's lap. They were just gazing into each other's eyes; their hearts touched by one another, not breaking there bond either. Sarah then gently lowered her head, resting it on Lucas's muscled chest for the last few moments. The ride stopped and the young couple got out, holding paws and walking down to find the others. They didn't say anything to each other for the longest of times; just staring at each other with love.

After about five minutes of walking, the young couple found everyone else. The day had been fun, but now it was time to go home.

X

Sunday came, and it found Star Flight going through the pictures they had taken during their time at the park. There were many to go with the ones that had been taken at the other areas.

Then Nicholas made an announcement. "It seems that yesterday, my parents got notices from the rulers of Eladard that the time has come for us to go to them. Therefore, the islands will have to wait until we go to the kings and queens. We'll start with the north and then head south before seeing the High King and Queen."


	10. Chapter 10

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 10: The Kings and Queens of the Elements in the North

Author's Notes: I've decided to add links for items and weapons that are in my story. More will be added

X

"So do we have to get dressed up to met these kings and queens?' asked Fara to Nicholas as he drove the mother ship to Sana Forest.

"I asked that, and all you have to do is come in your Star Flight team outfits," said the vulpine. He landed the ship near the edge of the forest. After training was over, the team got out and headed in.

Like the rain forest on Eladard, the buildings and streets were built with the trees instead of cutting them down. There were orchards that were fenced off, and the farmers rotated between trees to let other ones revive themselves.

Many species like wolves, foxes, deer, skunks, rabbits, and badgers were found here. Because it was turning to the season of fall, you could see the leaves chaining into beautiful colors. But it wasn't cold enough yet to start wearing long cloths.

X

A couple of days later after exploring, Nicholas figured the time came for his team to see the rulers here. He explained to them as they headed towards the palace what the elements were.

"You see there are six basic elements that go alongside the ones on the periodic table; fire, water, wind, ice, stone, and earth. The king and queen who live here are the guardians of earth. Earth is where planets grow and where we're buried when we die."

The palace came into view. Like almost all the buildings, it was built among and in the tress. But it had to be the biggest structure in the forest. Six stories tall, it looked like a huge tree house with towers.

As the team got closer, Nicholas explained an important rule about the kings and queens. Non Cerinians could take up the positions of an elemental king or queen, and even become a high king or queen. It had happened many times in the past. At the moment, only four of the elemental kings and queens were non Cerinians; the rest, including the high king and queen, were part Cerinians.

The team reached the main entrance where two guards; a male skunk, and a female rabbit stood. They looked up as the group approached.

"You are Star Flight?" the skunk asked. Nicholas nodded. "They've been expecting you. We'll take you to them."

The group entered the palace. The inside, even though it had the looks of a modern building, had the style of the buildings of the elves from The Lord of The Rings. The interior was beautiful; Nicholas knew that he, Ben, and Cody would have to show the others some of this place.

The two guards took them up some steps and down a couple of halls. They reached huge double doors that were richly decorated with coverings. "They are in the throne room," said the male skunk. He opened the doors and led the team in.

The room was huge, and had the sun streaming in through the open top. The sides of the room had no glass, and you can hear the sounds of the forest. The others stared in awe at the sight. The group then turned their attention towards the back center of the room. Two thrones made of wood and carved with leaf designs on them were placed there. A male buck and female doe sat on them. The two looked up when the group got close.

The buck had eight points on him, and a gold crown with four amethyst gems on it. His eyes were colored green and had brown fur. He wore a black cape held in place by another amethyst gem, a green shirt, and green pants. His boots were black, and he wore a gold wrist band with another Amethyst gem in the middle on his right wrist.

The doe had pink fur with blue eyes. On her forehead she wore a string of with a pearl at the end of it. She wore a necklace of emeralds that had a small diamond at the end of it. To complete her outfit, she wore a green dress.

The team stopped in front of the two, and knelt before them. Nicholas had explained to the others that even visitors had to either bow or kneel before any of the kings and queens as a sign of respect.

The two on the throne rose up and walked over to the team. "Welcome back to Eladard, Nicholas McCoy; son of Vincent and Linden McCoy," said the buck. The vulpine looked up at him.

"Thank you, your majesty," he said. Nicholas and the team stood up.

"It's good to have you two back as well; Cody and Ben," said the buck. The two nodded their heads towards him. The king then turned to the others.

"Let's not forget our guests," he said. "I am the ruler of this forest and one of the guardians of earth. I am Leonidas. This is my wife and queen, Eris." He indicated the pink doe. "You must be the new members of Nicholas's team."

'They are, your majesty," said the vulpine. He then introduced them one by one.

"I must say, you look well since you've left," said Eris.

"I have been; seeing as how it's been over two years," said the vulpine.

"Now, follow us," said Leonidas. He led the group to a room with a huge round table and chairs. It seemed to serve as a meeting room. Everyone took their places.

"Now tell us what has happened to you three since you left and how you met these members," said Leonidas. With that, Nicholas, Ben, and Cody launched into a summary of what had happened to them. They left the part of meeting Star Wolf and feelings out, but explained everything else that had happened. The seven listened to the parts about the adventures of the old team before coming to their school with great interest. Leonidas and Eris just listened the entire time.

When it was finish, the doe spoke up. "That's quite a story you've brought back with you." Nicholas nodded in agreement.

X

The team spent the next two days at the palace before it was time to go to the next one. They met in the meeting and briefing room of the mother ship.

"Now we'll head to the Glaceia Mountains," said Nicholas. The team had gotten winter clothes for this visit beforehand. The vulpine drove the ship right towards the middle of the range.

When the group stepped out, they were hit with the cold. They only felt it on their faces, but the rest of their bodies were fine.

"It's got to be as cold as Fichina here," said Lucy.

"Don't worry; the building here have heat," said Ben with a grin. "The structures will protect us from the cold."

"Brrrr!" said Amanda. "It makes me hibernate!"

The team went into the city were they saw other species bundled up like them. They saw snow leopards, sled dogs, penguins, and polar bears to name a few.

Despite the fact that it was cold, the species found here were outside doing different activities in the snow. From sledding, ice sculpting, to snowball fights, everyone seemed to be having a good time.

X

After exploring the city with its different buildings for a couple of days, the time came to visit the next elemental king and queen.

"These ones here are the guardians of the element of ice," Nicholas explained as he and his team was walking towards the palace. "It can be cold, but useful at times, and can be used as a weapon."

This time, two huskies were guarding the front entrance. They were wrapped up in layers, so that way they could stand guard and be comfortable. They lead the team inside which had the looks of being made of ice, despite that fact that it had a modern look. The group was taking to the throne room.

The area was just as big as it had been for the earth king and queen. But this room had icicles of immense size hanging from the ceiling, and walls sheltered the room from the cold outside. But there were windows to see outside.

In the back part of the room were two thrones that looked like they were carved out of ice. Two polar bears, a male and female sat on them.

The male had a gold crown with four diamonds on it. His eyes were light blue, and wore white pants and a white shirt. He wore a grey cap held in place by another diamond, grey fingerless gloves, and grey boots. Finally, he wore a gold belt that had a diamond in the middle.

The female also had light blue eyes like the male, and wore a long, grey dress. On top of her head was a string of diamonds that had one at the end of it. She wore a diamond necklace that had a ruby attached to it.

The same thing happened as it did for meeting Leonidas and Eris. Then the others learned the polar bear's names which were Grizzam and Eris. After that, the two rulers listened to Nicholas, Cody, and Ben tell the same things that they had told Leonidas and his wife.

X

"So how does one Eris know when you're talking to her if both are in the same room?' asked Fay as the team left the castle.

"If that happens, we just call the one we just met Eris Ice since she rules over that element," Nicholas explained. "The other we call Eris Earth. Now we need to head to Gomera Lake."

The team was there in a little bit. There were buildings surrounding the shore, but most of them were underwater. "It makes sense since the elemental king and queen who live here are guardians of water," said Nicholas when the others pointed this out to him.

To get to the underwater city and back, passenger subs were used. Nicholas however, sent two of his team mates, Dash and Yuki in the Y-Strikers that the team owned. The two snow monkeys made it to the city in one piece without any problems. A little bit latter, they were joined by the rest of Star Flight.

Frogs and otters were the most common species found here. Amanda, Cody, and Nami felt like they could live here. In fact, the black otter had made up his mind to do so. He could see it now; him coming to his house here to be greeted by Nami. Little did Cody know that the she otter was having similar thoughts.

X

After a few days, Nicholas took the team to the water palace. "The two rulers who live here are the guardians of water, as I already told you. Water is essential for life. It makes plants grow, and keeps us hydrated. And living things are mostly made up of it."

Two guards, both of them frogs, lead the team inside. The palace walls were made of thick glass, so you could see the water outside. The liquid was crystal clear, and the team could see a couple of miles of lakebed.

They were lead to the throne room and the team went in. The inside was decorated with things found in the water on the walls. Water was flowing through channels on the floor that the team had to cross over by using bridges. At the back of the room were two thrones shaped like seashells.

A male and female river otter sat on them. The male wore a gold crown with four sapphires on it. He also wore two gold earrings; each had a sapphire on it, one on each ear. He wore a purple cape, held in place by another sapphire and purple pants. His boots were colored sapphire, and he wore a white shirt with the selves cut off. He had dark purple eyes, and his fur was colored yellow. You could see the spiral that part and pure blood Cerinian males had on his muscled arms.

The female otter had green fur and white colored eyes. She wore a string of pearls that had a ruby attached to it on top of her head. She wore a necklace made of pearls that had a sapphire attached to it. She wore a long, white dress; and the team could see the line tattoos that part and pure blood Cerinian females had.

The same thing happened with the first elemental king and queen. But this time, some of the other members helped Nicholas, Cody, and Ben with the story telling. In return, the rest of Star Flight learned the names of this king and queen; Rizzo and Lanal.

X

"Only one more area before we head south," said Nicholas as the team left the lake. "On towards Skyfall."

The team soon made it. To the other's shock, the area was not on the ground, but in the sky. "Don't worry; there are many safety features to make sure nothing happenings," said Nicholas.

All kinds of bird species were found here. From turkeys, chickens, owls, to exotic ones; there were a lot of avians. Most of the buildings were powered by wind, and the activities involved using wind to do them.

X

After a couple of days the team went to the place found here. "These ones here are the guardians of the element of wind," Nicholas explained as he and his team was walking towards the palace. "It transports particles, wears down stone, and can be involved with weather."

The castle found here looked like a regular one, but had turbines and other weather instruments attached to it. The team was lead inside towards the throne room. The inside was open to let the wind come in and there were windows to look outside at the clouds. At the middle back of the room were two thrones shaped like clouds. A male and female bald eagle sat on them.

The male one had a gold crown with four emeralds on it. To top of his face was brown and had green eyes. He wore a red cape that was held in place by another emerald. He wore a blue shirt with the sleeves cut off, and wore a necklace with another emerald attached to it. The arms were muscled, and had the spirals on them. His pants wore colored white, and he wore blue boots.

The female bald eagle had long, blue hair, and her eyes were the same color. He face was all white, except for her beak. Under her eyes, there were markings. She wore a pearl necklace that had a diamond attached to it. She had pearl wrist bands around both of her writs, and wore a long, white dress. The team could see the line tattoos on her arms.

The same thing happened when Star Flight met Leonidas and Eris Earth. The story was told to these two, and the rest of the team learned their names; Equila and Nova.

X

"Now it's time to head south," said Nicholas as the team left the building.

Author's Notes: I originally wasn't going to include animals with hoofs. But then I realized that Pigma was based off an animal that has them. That's why I made the first elemental king and queen be deer.


	11. Chapter 11

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 11: The Kings and Queens of the Elements in the South

Nicholas drove the team to Firya, located north of Peablo. "This area is where farming happens despite the fact that Titus does most of it. The reason is because of the volcanic soil found in this area. It's very fertile."

"What does that mean?" asked Nami.

"It means that there are active volcanoes at Firya," said Cody. The others started to talk at once when they heard that. Things like, "What?!", "That's dangerous!" to state a couple.

"Guys…" said Nicholas, trying to get their attention. But they didn't pay him any head. The vulpine then snapped. "Everyone shut the fuck up!" The room went silent.

"It's not as bad as you think," he said. "There are active volcanoes, but only at the edge of the left side of Firya. The species found there live on the right side. They only go to the volcanoes to get the soil for farming. Besides, we have the technology to harness the heat and lava that comes out. And keep it under control."

The mother ship landed near the city. The group went out and could see the volcanoes in the distance. The area was hot like Peablo, but not unbearable. There were all kinds of species found here, but three new ones were spotted; rhinos, elephants, and wolverines.

The rhinos at most stood only at 6'1, but the elephants stood from 6'5 to 6'7, making them the second tallest species found on Eladard. 6'7 was the highest anyone (except for some species like bush babies) could grow to be. The wolverines on the other hand, at most, could grow to be 5'6.

"But don't let their size fool you," Nicholas explained to the others about them. "They're very strong and fast. But despite they're looks; these guys are friendly and loyal to their friends; like the Komodo Dragons."

The team also saw that the buildings were powered by thermal heat from the lava. Nicholas had been right that the technology was available to safely use this dangerous substance.

X

A couple of days later, the group were on their way to the palace found here. It looked like a volcano.

"The king and queen who live here are the guardians of fire," said Nicholas as they walked towards it. "Fire brings life and warmth to us, and can be a tool."

They arrived at the front doors were two more wolverines, a male and female, guarding it. They looked up when they saw the team.

"Nicholas McCoy?" asked the male guard. The vulpine nodded. "They've been expecting you. I will guide you and your team in."

The team was lead inside towards the throne room. The inside of that area had decorations that represented fire. In the back, middle part of the room were two more wolverines sitting on thrones that were shaped like pillars of fire.

The male one wore a gold crown with four rubies on it. His fur was brown and had orange eyes. He wore an orange cap held by another ruby. His shirt was red, and the selves were cut off. You could see the spiral tattoos on his upper arms. His pants and boots were orange, and wore gold knee pads that had rubies on them.

The female wore a string of diamonds with a ruby attached to it on her head. Her fur color was light orange, and her eyes were the same orange as the wolverine who sat next to her. She wore a ruby necklace that had a diamond attached to it. She wore a long, white dress that left her arms exposed. You could see the line tattoos on her.

The same thing happened with meeting the first elemental king and queen. The travels of the team were told to them, and the others learned the wolverine's names; Worriz and Windra.

X

"There's only one more area to visit before going to the high king and queen," said Nicholas as Star Flight left the palace. "We're headed to Dason."

He flew the group over the mountains to first show the top most passage that was cut into them. "This was useful in ancient times. Not so much anymore. This is because long before my ancestors came, the city of Dason was near this passage. The river that goes by the same name flowed in that area. But then, sometime after my ancestors arrived, there was a huge earthquake. One so powerful, it actually changed the course of the Dason River to flow the way it does today." As he said this, the mother ship passed over ruins. The rest of the team was able to see them.

"What you're looking at is the ancient city of Dason," the vulpine explained. "You can also see that this area is a desert. The mountains cut off cool, moist air. The only things that live out in this part of the desert are wild animals, sparse plants, and archeologists who come out here to study the ruins. They say that they're still treasure and artifacts to be found there."

Nicholas landed the ship on the outskirts of Dason. The team got out to see the city. The buildings were structure like those from ancient Egypt. They could see that the city had channeled the water from the nearby river to flow throughout the city. The group saw cows, goats, sheep, pigs, horses, and donkeys among the other species. But there was one type they hadn't seen before; Meerkats.

Some of them were dressed up like cowboys; similar to what the team had seen at Peablo. "But these guys like those found there are different," said Nicholas. "They're rangers; a special law force that come in handy when the regular police can't do the job."

X

A couple of days later, the team went to the palace which looked like an ancient Egyptian one.

The king and queen who live here are the guardians of stone," said Nicholas as they walked. "Stone is a building material, and used for decorating."

They were lead inside to the throne room which looked like an ancient Egyptian royal court with ancient symbols decorating the room. In the back, middle part of the room, a pharaoh hound and feline sat on two thrones shaped like rocks.

The pharaoh hound wore a golden crown with four topaz gems on it. Two lines of gold with lines came of the crown and framed his upper face. His fur was tan, and his eye color was white. He wore a brown cape held in place by another topaz. His shirt was yellow and sleeveless. You could see the spiral tattoos he had. His pants were colored white, and had gold ankle bracelets that also had topazes on them.

The feline wore a string of pearls with a topaz gem attached to it on her head. She had shoulder, length pink hair, and red fur. She had green eyes, and a long, strapless dress colored tan. You could see the line tattoos she had.

The same thing happened with meeting Leonidas and Eris Earth. The travels of the team were told to them, and the others learned the names of these two; Lennox and Liuwa.

X

"And now, it's time to meet the rulers of Eladard," said Nicholas as the group left the palace.


	12. Chapter 12

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 12: Telling of the Past

"Say, how did the elemental kings and queens get to where they are today?" asked Yuki.

"Yeah, I want to know," said Lucy.

"Really?" asked Ben. The female hare nodded.

"Unless it's a big secret?" asked Nami.

"Not at all," said Cody. "They should hear this, Nicholas."

"Okay, let's head to the meeting and briefing room, and I'll tell their stories," said the vulpine.

X

Soon the team was in that part of the ship. "I think I'll start with the boring stories first before going on to the more interesting ones," said Nicholas.

"For Grizzam and Eris Ice, those two met in high school. However, they didn't date until after graduation. Five years later, they got married, and it was during that time that the previous rulers named those two to be their successors."

"As for Worriz and Windra, that had known each other since they were kids. It took all of his charm to wow Windra. It was a very difficult thing for Worriz to do."

"Here's where it gets interesting," Nicholas continued. "Rizzo, Lanal, Equila, and Nova are all non Cerinians themselves. What happened is that they each helped the previous rulers of their areas by saving their lives. The previous ones were so grateful, that they gave those four each a Cerinian weapon. The weapons chose them, and those four became a part of our race."

"Saving them from what?" asked Fay.

"From a freak accident," said Nicholas.

"As for Lennox and Liuwa, those two knew each other since they were little kids. When they hit 16, Lennox asked her out. Then, at age 21, they got married. But there was one problem. Their DNA was different by enough so that Liuwa couldn't have any children. So, in an act of hope, she used a DNA Splicer to make her DNA become more like Lennox's."

Nicholas then told the seven everything about the DNA Splicers. He even went on to tell about Katt's change with the one on the mother ship, and showed a picture of what she looked like before her change.

When he was finished, Miyu turned to the black feline. "Is it true?" she asked.

"Yes," said Katt. "I can't go back to the way I was. Once the change happens, it's permanent. However; I wouldn't want to go back to the way I was even if it were possible. Because now, I can have children with a certain avian that I love."

"Who is it?' asked Fay, her eyes glinting.

"Falco of Star Fox," said Katt. The seven except for Fara looked at her in surprise. They didn't think that this feline would know a member from that team. "I met him on Corneria when he was enrolled at the Cornerian Flight Academy. And I quickly fell head over paws in love with him." When she said that sentence, she blushed.

"When he left, I followed him, leaving behind my career in beauty fashion," Katt concluded.

"Wow, sounds romantic," said Luna with a smile. "But how did you get to joining the Star Flight Team? You never really explained that part." The black feline went silent for a bit.

"It's something I'd rather not talk about right now," she said.

"Well the part of how you meet Falco is something I didn't know," said Nicholas. "But you don't have to tell us everything just yet. When you're ready, just let us know."

"But what about Leonidas and Eris Earth?" asked Fara. "How did those two meet?"

"Well that tale has to be the most romantic," said Nicholas. "It all started when they were born two days apart during early spring in April. Leonidas was the son of the previous rulers of that area. Both are part Cerinians."

"Then, during the summer when was six years old, before he would start school, Leonidas and his parents were at a park. He ended up by a pound, and looked in. Suddenly, he noticed a female fawn's face in the reflection of the water. And she was looking at Leonidas. He looked up to see her with a start."

"Meanwhile, the female fawn, who had been watching him since he came to the park, had taken a great interest in Leonidas. She was only six, and already this fawn liked him a lot in a romantic way."

"She approached him, and he, being shy, ran back to his mother. She told her son this fawn's name; Eris. Things went off from there, and the two became friends. Then, during high school, Eris Earth had to leave due to her father's work. This was a sad time for both of them, because by this point, the two deer were in love with each other."

"Then, by age 20, Leonidas, being a young buck, was at the same park, by the pound where he met Eris Earth. He was thinking of her when a female voice said hello to him. He looked up to see a beautiful doe standing there."

"It turned out to be Eris Earth herself; now 20, and fully grown. She approached Leonidas, who took some steps back and got his antlers caught in the lowest branches of a nearby tree. Eris Earth came up and kissed him on the check."

"Things went off from there, and the two quickly told each other that they loved one another. A few years later, they got married, and became the next rulers," Nicholas concluded.

"That does sound romantic," said Fara. "Two lovers meeting each other when they're kids, then being separated, only to come back. It's kinda like a fairy tale."

"Yes," said the vulpine. "It is. Now, let's head out to meet the high king and queen."


	13. Chapter 13

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 13: The High King and High Queen

"Don't the kings and queens we saw have kids?" asked Fara as Nicholas drove the ship to the castle at Teirm.

"Yes, but they were busy with other things," said the vulpine. "You'll meet them latter."

The team then reached the castle that they had seen while traveling through Teirm. It looked like a regular one, but was a bit bigger than the other palaces the group had visited so far. All kinds of species were going in and out of the building.

The group went through the court yards that lead to the main door. Approaching the entrance, they saw two guards that were wolves. The two lead the team inside. Once again, the building had modern looks despite the way it looked on the outside.

After climbing some stairs that lead to the upper floors, Star Flight reached the throne room. The doors opened and the team went in.

The throne room was much fancier than any of the others they had been to so far. Decorated with royal designs and pictures, it was fit for a ruler of a whole planet. Some guards were stationed in the room for security.

At the middle, back part of the room were two thrones made of gold with soft padding on them. Two wolves sat on theses seats. The male had blue fur, a white muzzle, and green eyes. On his head was a gold crown that had seven gems on it; six were those that were worn by the other kings and queens. But in the middle was a silver one that none of the others recognized. He wore a long, white shirt and his pants were the same color. On his upper arms, he wore bracelets made of gold that had the same mysterious gem on them. His belt was also a gold color and had the same gem on it that was on the bracelets. His boots were golden color, and wore shoulder pads made of gold that also had silver gems. Finally, he wore a golden colored cape.

The female had white fur and cerulean blue eyes. She had long, pink hair and a gold crown with three points on it rested on top of her head. A string of diamonds that had another silver gem attached to it, rested below her crown. She wore shoulder pads made of gold that also had two silver gems on it. Her upper body had a golden colored shirt and on her writs was wrist bracelets made of gold that also had silver gems on them. She wore a golden colored belt that had another silver gem on it. Finally, the bottom part of her outfit was like a dress that was long. A golden line was in the middle of it, while the outside parts were white.

The team approached the two and knelt before them; just like they had for the others. The two on the thrones rose up and approached Star Flight. "Welcome back to Eladard, Nicholas McCoy, son of Vincent and Linden McCoy," said the blue lupine. "Welcome back, Cody Otter, and Ben Speedo."

"Thank you, your majesty," said the three in unison.

"It has been over two years since you have left," said the female wolf with a smile. "And it appears you came back with some friends." Luna just looked at her while kneeling. This she wolf was beautiful; just as much as the younger one was.

"We have," said Nicholas. He and the team stood up. He introduced them one by one. The male and female wolf noticed that the minds of the ones they didn't know had their minds surrounded by walls of iron, preventing them from being read.

"You taught them how to defend their minds," said the lupine.

"Yes, because it's an important skill," said Nicholas. The female ruler was only listening to the two talk. Her focus was on the female members of Star Flight.

They were all attractive; some more so than others. But Fara and Luna stood out to the older female wolf the most. The younger one was beautiful just like her. The queen was curious to see Luna get older. As for Fara, she was beautiful as well. And the queen noticed the way the vixen looked at Nicholas while the vulpine talked. The older she wolf didn't have to read Fara's mind to tell that this vixen really liked Nicholas in a romantic way. Her thoughts were interrupted by the male wolf.

"I see that Nicholas has done a good job teaching you," he said. "As ruler of Eladard, it's my honor to welcome you here. My name is Karim, and this is my wife, Arielle." He indicated the female wolf with pink hair. "I hope your time here is enjoyable."

"It has been," said Bill, nodding his head.

"Now then, tell us what has happened since you left, Nicholas," said Arielle as she and Karim took their seats. The team told what had been happening while the two listened the entire time.

X

"Wow, I think Eladard's in good paws," said Luna as the team left the castle after spending a couple of days there.

"Yes, they've been ruling over us for a long time," said Nicholas.

"Say, what was that silver gem we saw on their crowns?" asked Miyu. "I've never seen anything like it before."

"Yes, because it can only be found on Eladard. It's called a silver pearl, and it's just as valuable as diamonds."

"So tell us," said Fay with a glint in her eyes. "How did those two get together?"

"Well it's only fair that I tell you since I told the other tales," said Nicholas. "Those two have known each other since they were pups. They met when they were six years old when Karim's father and mother, the previous rulers, held a banquet to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Arielle was the daughter of one of the council of 13. The two met, and even though they were children, they fell in love. Time passed and the two promised to stay together. When they hit their teens, they went out, and eventually got married before becoming the high kind and queen. They are a perfect example of how a marriage can work and have been married for 30 years now, ruling all of Eladard for that same amount of time."

"Wow, sounds like a fairy tale. They must be happy," said Luna with a smile.

"30 years is a long time to be married to someone," said Fara.

"Yes, they haven't regretted it," said Nicholas. "But their marriage does lack one thing; children." This got the other's confused. "You see, Arielle couldn't conceive a child even when she was fertile. It's a very rare condition that happens to one in a million women. Nobody is quite sure why, and it has no cure. But doctors can tell if a women is a carrier of the trait. Males aren't carriers." The team remanded silent.

"I can't even begin to imagine the pain, bitterness, and sadness that Karim and especially Arielle went through when they found this out. To be unable to have a child for a women; nothing can be as painful. But this condition only can happen to females born to those from Eladard." Fara, although sad for the rulers of Eladard, felt relief when she heard that only women from Eladard carried the trait. That meant that she didn't have to worry about her children getting it, if she had kids with Nicholas.

"Now let's head to the islands," said the vulpine.


	14. Chapter 14

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 14: The Islands of Eladard

"Now with that out of the way, we can finally go to the islands on Eladard," said Nicholas as he drove the mother ship towards Asher. The vulpine explained that the north and south poles were pieces of land, but the team wasn't going to visit those areas since it could get to be too cold. Before heading towards the left side of Asher, Nicholas drove the ship over the Outback. The others could see that this area was very dry; just like their leader had explained. It only had sparse plant life, and they even saw wild animals.

Nicholas took the ship to the left side of the island. All kinds of species were found here, but they spoke in an accent that made them sound like they were from England from our world. The team enjoyed looking around at the buildings, which had similar designs to those found at Karsnic. One of the most memorable nights was seeing another comedian that Nicholas, Ben, and Cody had shown the seven. He was performing live at one of the theaters, and was named Ree Evans. The team thought he was funny. It took a few days to explore this side of the island.

Then the group went to the right side of the island. Here they found some species found nowhere else. Some were Kangaroos, Koalas, Tasmanian Devils, Budgerigars (or commonly known as Budgies), and Dingoes. Nicholas explained that the first three species were mammals but a special type called marsupials. Their young are born underdeveloped and the pink, bean size kid crawls to its mother's pouch. For two years, the kid will develop and grow, until when it has its second birthday, it comes out and leaves the pouch. The species that spoke here sounded like they were from Australia from our world. Again, it took a few days to explore this side of Asher.

Finally, the team went over the islands of Darlim, Kitan, and Marna, just to see what they looked like. But when it was over, Nicholas drove the group back to the city of Teirm. Now the real fun could begin.

Author's Notes: Now that that crap is out of the way, the story will get more interesting.


	15. Chapter 15

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 15: Tiger and Samantha

The weather was getting colder and now required longer, heaver clothes during the mornings and evenings. The seven had brought some with them from Corneria since Nicholas had told them that Eladard went through all four season like their home planet. But they still wore the gloves, vests, and/or jackets that came with their outfits.

The team lived in the mother ship next to the vulpine's house and the seven's training still continued. Nicholas figured that it wouldn't be long before they would get to the point of handling real weapons that weren't blasters. Especially since they got to a hundred repts with their exercises which was the max one should do for them.

Besides doing those things, the instrument practicing was going great. The seven who had chosen one by this point could actually play some songs on the instruments they had chosen well. Nicholas was trying to figure out a place for his team to do a gig. He knew of a few, but there was one in particular he wanted to do it at. Especially since there were two others that he wanted to see again.

X

A couple of weeks later, Fara, Luna, Miyu, and Fay returned to the mother ship and went up the main control and briefing room to report to Nicholas. He had been giving the others tasks to do to learn about the city of Teirm. It involved deliveries to pickups. And the best part was that there was pay involved when the jobs were completed.

"The four have returned!" Fay announced to those in the room which was everyone else.

"That's good," said Bill. "I imagined that the person who we helped out is very happy." Fara went over to Nicholas and handed him the credits that were paid for the job.

"So what's next?' asked Luna."There's still time for us to do another task."

"Oh, there's plenty," said Dash. "I've got a list right here."

"Can't we get something more exciting?" asked Miyu.

"Are you saying that these jobs aren't good enough?" asked Nicholas with a smile.

"In a way, yes," said the lynx. "I've been training to fight. I want some action. Because so far these gigs have been easier than stealing candy from a baby."

Nicholas let out a chuckle of amusement then spoke. "You and the others want something more challenging? Lucky for you, I've got a job that will do the trick. One of our team's suppliers needs his payment delivered; two bags of energy gem ore. Take the zoomers that are parked outside and drive them to the Hip Hog Roaring Tiger saloon in the down town area. You'll recognize the bar by the neon tiger statue on top of the entrance. You'll be able to get in because it's one of those 18 and older bars."

"The reason it's harder than the other jobs you've done so far is because as of late, the police and rangers are having problems with energy gem thieves. They keep their faces covered, but we do know this; they're a group of males and females of all kinds of species. But they can't be captured, because if something happenings to one of them, the body goes up in flames. Burning it beyond the ability to figure out who it is; even with modern technology. And we can't read their minds since they've had the training. We don't even know if any are regular species, part Cerinians, or a mixture. Take whatever weapons you need."

"This is going to require everyone to make sure this shipment gets to Tiger, the owner of the bar. Ask for him; he'll be there. And don't let these stealers stop you. And when you get there, hang out there and tell Tiger I'll be in latter at around 5:00 since I've got some things I need to take care of. He's another friend and a mentor of mine. He along with another person named Samantha are the last of the friends I've been meaning to see."

"You can count on us," said Miyu.

"So why are you still here?" asked Nicholas.

X

The rest of the team went outside and behind the ship to see the zoomers parked there. Each one had a driver seat, and a small platform attached to the back of that that could hold seven species comfortably. Guard rails were attached to those parts of the vehicles, and each platform had a bag on it in an open crate that the team assumed had the payment.

Fara and Nami had decided to be the drivers while everyone else went onto the platforms. Ben, Fay, Cody, Bill, Lucy, and Amanda went on the zoomed that Nami was driving, while the others went on the one that Fara was piloting. They had brought blasters, but also a couple of beam swords. None of the remaining seven on the platforms had those; they only carried blasters. When everyone was ready, Fara and Nami fired up the zoomers and began the drive towards the bar. Nicholas had given them a map to show where it was.

At first, everything seemed to be alright. Those on the platform kept their eyes peeled for species with their faces covered. The team then reached the down town area of Teirm.

"Man, this bites," said Miyu. "So far, nothing has happened." Suddenly, a blaster shot hit the side of the zoomed she was on. It didn't damage the vehicle at all, but left a burn mark. Katt returned fire from the direction that the shot came from. The black feline didn't have time to wonder if she got the shooter, because at that moment, two more zoomers came up from behind the ones that Star Flight were on. Instantly, the species on the streets panicked, and ran for cover.

Fara hoped that causalities could be avoided if possible. Suddenly, another laser shot went whizzing past her, causing the vixen to return to reality and to just drive.

Meanwhile, those on the platform were firing at the species on the vehicles behind them. They could see that the species were wearing red body suits and had red masks to cover their faces, making it impossible to see who it was.

The seven that were firing were finding it difficult to aim. They hadn't practice on a moving object before. It didn't help when their vehicles had to make turns. So they stayed behind the other members and tried to do their best. Meanwhile, Fara and Nami were just staying focused on driving while avoiding things in the streets.

Suddenly, one of the enemy species, a male, wiped out a machine gun. Bill spotted this and fired. The shot got the mysterious one right through the forehead, leaving a small, sizzling hole. The guy fell off the guard rail, and onto the street.

A shot from the enemy went over Miyu's head, almost getting her. The lynx fired, and managed to get the shooter, a female, right near the heart. The women toppled backwards onto the ground. This got the other seven on the platforms even more fired up. They continued to fire, and managed to get some of the enemy.

The zoomers behind theirs managed to put on a burst of speed. This allowed two males to jump and land on the ones that the team were on. They both drew out beam swords, activating them. The color of all beam weapons, no matter what the weapon was, only came in four colors; red, blue, green, and orange. The two enemies both had red colored beam swords. The one on Fay's zoomer had landed near the collie, and aimed a slash at her. Fay closed her eyes, waiting for the feel of the blade on her body. But a few seconds passed, and she didn't feel anything. Fay opened her eyes and saw that Bill had countered the blade with his green colored beam sword.

"Hey buddy; how about take on someone who can actually defend themselves?" the canine growled at the attacker; a male wolf.

"How touching," the lupine hissed. "A man protecting his women. I'll just kill you in front of her." He launched a swing at Bill, who deflected it with a flick of his wrist.

The same thing had happened on the zoomer that Yuki was on. Dash had stopped the other attacker, a male chameleon. Now the primate and lizard were fighting with their swords. But Bill and Dash had the upper hand; the attackers were just weaklings.

Meanwhile, the others except for Fay and Yuki were firing at the vehicles behind them. Then, Luna and Lucy managed to hit the engines with their blasters. This caused the zoomers behind them to blow up in two fiery balls of fire and hot, twisted metal.

At that moment Bill and Dash managed to stab their opponents right in the hearts. The two males' eyes widen as blood came out of their mouths, dripping out of their masks. "Fuck," said the chameleon in a gurgle.

"Fuck off and go to hell," said Dash, and he and Bill pushed their opponents off their vehicles. The fight was over.

X

The team then made it to the bar. They could see the sign. Fara and Nami got out and walked towards the back of the zoomers. The seven on the platforms had stayed silent the entire time for the rest of the drive.

"You doing alright?" asked Ben to Lucy. The female hare nodded. It was the same for the other girls except Katt and Amanda. This was because the seven who had been firing had been taught that they would have to take out living species sometimes. If they didn't, then the seven could lose their lives. They had come to terms with this fact.

The group approached the entrance of the bar with the bags of energy gem ore. They recognized this one as one of the buildings that they had been unable to get into when they first explored Teirm.

A silver mountain gorilla standing at 6'7 was guarding the entrance. These apes were the final tallest species that could be found on Eladard. They could grow to be either 6'5 or 6'7. He looked up as the team approached. They had seen these species before.

"Hold on now chili peppers, it isn't opening time yet," he said. His voice was bit on the deep side. "Come back at around 4:30 since it's only 3:30."

"We're here on a delivery," said Fara. "It's for Tiger." The mountain gorilla's attitude changed in an instant.

"Oh, so you cherries have the energy gem ore, huh?" he asked. "That's good; I can see it made it here in one piece." He then spotted Cody and Ben. "Well, well; look who it is. Cody Otter and Ben Speedo. I'd heard you two and Nicholas were back."

"Yeah, that's right," said the black otter.

"So these must be teammates you three managed to pick up along the way," said the gorilla. He was introduced to them one by one.

"A pleasure to meet you. I'm Sig Solarex; I work for Tiger. Let's get inside and I'll let the boss know. But I need to see if you're all 18. Just in case." Everyone showed Sig their ids. Visitors could use the ones they had from their home planets and it would work.

"You all check out; you can come in," said Sig. He led the group inside.

The bar looked cool and hip; plenty of seats on the sides, a row to sit up at front, a DJ station, lights, a disco ball, and a dance floor. The team saw another gorilla that looked like Sig. He noticed the group looking.

"That's my twin brother, Kivuli," said Sig. He then called out to Kivuli. "Hey brother! Better get the boss out here. His payment is here." The team placed the bags of energy gym ore on the front row.

"Right," said Kivuli; his voice wasn't as deep as Sig's. He went over to a door behind the bar and knocked on it. "Tiger; it's here."

The door opened and out came a handsome, bengal tiger standing at 6'0. He had light blue eyes, dark, brown hair, and had white fur. He wore a black, leather jacket, a grey shirt underneath it and blue jeans. He looked over at the group.

The others had seen tigers, but not the ones that were white and had black stripes. Miyu whispered to group, "Let me handle this." She turned her attention back to owner. The lynx could sense the signals that this guy was given out; ones that he wasn't available to date. But Miyu put that thought to the back of her mind and spoke up. "Are you Tiger? Well we shock the heat, and your payment is in good condition."

"That's good," said Tiger. "Because something that rare and valuable is worth more than ten of any of your lives. But it's nice to know that it was handled by a crew that knows what they're doing. I am Tiger Bie, owner of this bar; but you probably already know that. What are your names?" The others except for Ben and Cody introduced themselves.

"You've got great names," said Tiger when the introductions were done. "I see Ben and Cody are here, but where's Nicholas? I heard he's back."

"He's got some things to take care of," said Yuki. "He'll be here by 5:00."

"I see," said the jungle cat. He opened one of the bags and took out a bit of the contents. The group was able to see that it looked like the gems found on the magical plants, only these were emerging out of rocks.

The group sat around just looking around the bar. Sig went back outside while Kivuli stayed at the front row. Tiger took the bags of energy gem ore and put it away in a secure, safe place before coming back out to begin the process of setting up the bar for customers.

At 4:00, a few employees came in; a male crane, a female dingo, a male wolverine, and a female eagle. They all greeted Tiger before getting to work. The others were just sitting in a group by the front and talking with the jungle cat and Kivuli about their adventures with Nicholas.

"Sounds like he's been doing good," said Tiger when they had finished. "It's nice to know, because besides being his friend and mentor, I'm also a part Cerinian like him."

"Really?" asked Miyu.

"Yeah he is," said Kivuli. "That's quite a story you've got."

"So why are you into what Nicholas has been up to? asked Katt. "You're not a part Cerinian."

"Well even though I'm not, Nicholas, Cody, and Ben are very well known among non Cerinians."

"So Sig is also a non Cerinian like you?" asked Fay. The mountain gorilla nodded.

"It's simply because part Cerinians are known for being very good looking and for their powers," said Tiger. "That al-"

"Oh, Tig," said a female voice in a seductive tone to the jungle cat. The group looked up to see a beautiful, female snow leopard in a white shirt, and a long, pink skirt. She had cerulean blue eyes, and her long, grey hair matched her fur color. To complete the outfit, she wore brown boots.

Tiger's face lit up and grinned widely at this new person. "'Sammy," he said. He walked from behind the front row and went to her. The two shared a loving kiss. After a few moments they broke apart with their arms still wrapped around each other. "What are you doing here so early?' asked Tiger.

"I managed to get off of work," said the snow leopard. "So I decided to come see you."

"I'm glad you did," said Tiger, and rubbed his nose against hers. This action caused the snow leopard to giggle. "Especially since Nicholas will be here at 5:00."

"Yeah, I heard he was back," she said with a grin. The two walked back to the others.

"Hey Samantha," said Cody to the snow leopard. "Nice to see you and Tiger's relationship is doing well."

"Yes," she said. "But it's gotten even better."

"What do you mean?" asked Ben.

"I want to wait until Nicholas get's here," said Samantha. "So who are your friends?" The rest of the team was introduced to her.

Not long after that, the bar opened for the public at 4:30. The workers and Tiger worked to keep the teens and young adults happy, while the others and Samantha talked with each other. They found out that the snow leopard also owned her own business; a flower store a couple blocks away from Tiger's work. They also found out that Samantha was a part Cerinian, just like her lover. Then at five, Nicholas came in. The group looked up when the vulpine came in.

"Hey Tiger; Samantha," he said. The jungle cat excused himself and he and Samantha went over and wrapped their arms around him. They pulled back after a bit.

"Damn, you look well," said Tiger.

"So do both of you," said Nicholas. The three then walked over to the rest of the team. "I see that you and Samantha are doing good."

"Oh it's better," she said.

"How?' asked the vulpine. Samantha then held up her left paw. On the ring finger was a diamond ring.

"Tiger proposed to me; we're going to be married on November 5th."

"Wow; he finally did it," said Nicholas with a wide grin. "I'm really happy for both of you." The others on the team also expressed their happiness for the two.

Sometime later, the Star Flight team left the bar to head to the mother ship. But the vulpine knew that they would be back.

Author's notes: I want to thank Vulann Kulaas for the idea of Sig's brother. Originally I was only going to have Sig, but then I decided that him and Kivuli would be twin brothers. Both the names Kivuli and Solarex were thought up by that writer.


	16. Chapter 16

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 16: First Gig

Author's notes: Four words in four lines in the lyrics had to be changed.

X

The team continued to go to the Hip Hop Roaring Tiger saloon during the evenings to have fun on non work out days. The others got to know the jungle cat and Samantha better since his fiancé came to visit him every evening. The only day of the week that Tiger didn't work was on Wednesdays.

"So how is it that Tiger has white fur and light blue eyes?" asked Fay to Nicholas. "Does he wear contacts and die his fur that color?"

The vulpine looked to make sure that the jungle cat wasn't near their group. As it was, he was at the front of the bar serving customers. The team was on the side of the bar this time.

"No, he was born like that," said Nicholas. "But before I explain, I have to ask a question. Have you taken Biology? And if you did, did your class cover the topic of dominant and recessive genes?"

The seven, Dash, and Amanda nodded their heads. But Bill and Katt looked a little confused. "Let me explain about that," said the vulpine. "There are certain traits that are inherited genetically, like being albino. The genes fall under two categories; dominant and recessive. When it comes to the first type, it only takes one parent that is a carrier of that trait to pass it on to their children. However, it's the opposite for the second type; both parents must be carriers to pass it on to their offspring."

"I see," said Bill. "So what does this have to do with Tiger?'

"That white fur and light blue eyes is a recessive trait, meaning both his parents are carriers for the gene," said Nicholas. "It only happens in every 10,000 births. That is why he's the first you've seen to have this condition. But he'll live a very long life; just as much as a regular one."

"So how did he and Samantha become mentors of yours?" asked Fara.

"When I started my sophomore year, they offered their time at my school to be helpers and teach. Hui-Ying, Jazerc, Kralie, and Saria arrived not long after that. They stayed until the five of us graduated, and then they left to work on their jobs. They had been before, but after I left high school, they could focus on them even more. Samantha worked her way up the ranks at the flower store, until she became the owner of it."

"As for Tiger, he worked here until he became the owner of this place. It was during this time that Sig and Kivuli stated to work for him. And they've been doing it now for two years since Tiger became owner of this place at age 21. He and Samantha are now 23."

"Wow," said Miyu. "I didn't think he could do it in that short amount of time."

"Well he's a hard worker along with Samantha," said Nicholas. "So tell me, how did it feel to go into combat?" He had heard that the team had gotten in a fight while delivering Tiger's payment. But he hadn't heard all the details.

"It wasn't too bad at all," said Luna. "I knew that I had to fight back or else I might have been killed." The other seven who had fought said the same thing.

"That's good," said the vulpine. "Just make sure you don't become someone who gets intoxicated by blood lust." Fara didn't say anything. The reason the vixen had offered to drive was because she hadn't been sure if she had it in her to kill someone. Fara understood the reason of why it happened, but she felt that wasn't what a pilot's job was.

X

Sometime in early October, Nicholas decided it was time for the team to do their first gig. He approached Tiger on a Tuesday about performing at his bar. There was another room next to the main one that had a stage that could work.

"I think that would be a good idea," he said after Nicholas told him. "You can do it on a Saturday, and I'll just let everyone know that it will be a special night. Me, Samantha, Sig, and Kivuli will definitely come to it."

Nicholas sent out calls to Hui-Ying, Jazerc, Kralie, and Saria about the concert, and all four said they would come. The word got out to others, even those at other areas. By Tiger's calculations, it would be a full house.

The others on the team were also excited for this to come up. They were ready for it.

X

The night came, and the group was dressed up in their team outfits. The gig would start at 8:00, and to get in required 20 credits. The species in the audience were ready for it to begin. Tiger had been right when saying it would be a full house. Those that did special effects had the equipment set up in the back. The instruments from the ship were on the stage.

"Are you seven ready?" asked Nicholas to them in the back. They all nodded. "Just remember; you've been practicing hard. You can do this. And above all, have fun."

All too soon, the time came. Yuki, Nami, and Robert went to the special effects booth, while the band members took their positions. A current was in front of them, blocking the band from the audience. Tiger, Samantha, Hui-Ying, Jazerc, Kralie, Saria, Sig, and Kivuli were all in the front row.

When it hit 8:00, the curtain went up revealing the band as the stage lights came on. The audience roared at the team. Nicholas stepped up to the mike.

"Welcome, one and all, to the first gig of Star Flight!" He was answered by cheering and yelling. "Let's get going!" And with that, the band launched into the song, Same Old Song And Dance. After the intro, Nicholas began to sing.

**Get yourself cooler**

**Lay yourself low**

**Coincidental murder**

**With nothing to show**

**When the judge's constipation**

**Goes to his head**

**And his wife's aggravation**

**You're soon enough dead**

**It's the same old story**

**Same Old Song And Dance, my friend**

**It's the same old story**

**Same Old Song And Dance, my friend**

**Got you with the cocaine**

**They found with your gun**

**No smooth face laywer**

**To get ya undone**

**Say love ain't the same**

**On the south side of town**

**You could look**

**But you ain't gonna find it around**

**It's the same old story**

**Same Old Song And Dance, my friend**

**It's the same old story**

**Same old story**

**Same Old Song And Dance**

The band had the audience going with this song. Nicholas had explained to the others that everyone on Eladard would know the songs that the band would play. This was because some of Nicholas's ancestors had actually traveled to the Lylat. They had brought back with them knowledge and songs from the system. Over time, those from Eladard and Cerinia had learned about the music from Lylat.

**Fate comes a-knockin'**

**Doors start lockin'**

**Your old time connection**

**Change your direction**

**Ain't gonna change it**

**Can't rearrange it**

**Can't stand the pain**

**When it's all the same to you, my friend**

The species in the audience just watched and cheered as those with instruments rocked out. You could see the looks on the team member's faces; they had ones that showed that they were enjoying themselves.

**When you're low down and dirty**

**From walkin' the street**

**With your old hurdy gurdy**

**No one to meet**

**Said love ain't the same**

**On the south side of town**

**You could look**

**But you ain't gonna find it around**

**It's the same old story**

**Same Old Song And Dance, my friend**

**It's the same old story**

**Same old story**

**Same Old Song And Dance**

The song came to an end to cheering from the crowd. After that, the band did Tick Tick Boom and God in Training. When those were done, Nicholas spoke into the mike.

"And now, I'm going to take a break while another member sings the next song." The spotlight went onto Miyu who had been playing the drums. The band began to play Lights as the vulpine walked off the stage. Then the lynx began to sing.

**I had a way then losing it all on my own**

**I had a heart then but the queen has been overthrown**

**And I'm not sleeping now the dark is too hard to beat**

**And I'm not keeping now the strength I need to push me**

**You show the lights that stop me turn to stone**

**You shine It when I'm alone**

**And so I tell myself that I'll be strong**

**And dreaming when they're gone**

**'Cause they're calling, calling, calling me home**

**Calling, calling, calling home**

**You show the lights that stop me turn to stone**

**You shine It when I'm alone**

**Home**

**Noises, I play within my head**

**Touch my own fur and hope that I'm still breathing**

**And I think back to when my brother and my sister slept**

**In an unlocked place the only time I feel safe**

**You show the lights that stop me turn to stone**

**You shine it when I'm alone**

**And so I tell myself that I'll be strong**

**And dreaming when they're gone**

**'Cause they're calling, calling, calling me home**

**Calling, calling, calling home**

**You show the lights that stop me turn to stone**

**You shine it when I'm alone**

**Home**

**Yeah, hee**

**Light, lights, lights, lights**

**Light, lights, lights, lights**

**Light, lights, lights, lights**

**Light, lights**

**You show the lights that stop me turn to stone**

**You shine it when I'm alone**

**And so I tell myself that I'll be strong**

**And dreaming when they're gone**

**'Cause they're calling, calling, calling me home**

**Calling, calling, calling home**

**You show the lights that stop me turn to stone**

**You shine it when I'm alone**

**Home, home**

**Light, lights, lights, lights**

**Light, lights, lights, lights**

**Home, home**

**Light, lights, lights, lights**

**Light, lights, lights, lights**

The song came to an end to much cheering and applause. Miyu just let out a breath. She had played the drums and sung at the same time. The lynx had done it, and was proud of herself. A ten minute break then came.

When the break was done, Katt took her position up at the mike with her instrument. The band began to play We Found a Love. After the intro, the black feline began to sing.

**Yellow diamonds in the light**

**And we're standing side by side**

**As your shadow crosses mine**

**What it takes to come alive**

**It's the way I'm feeling I just can't deny**

**But I've gotta let it go**

**We found love in a hopeless place**

**We found love in a hopeless place**

**We found love in a hopeless place**

**We found love in a hopeless place**

She had the audience going. Some of the species were actually dancing to the song.

**Shine a light through an open door**

**Love and life I will divide**

**Turn away cause I need you more**

**Feel the heartbeat in my mind**

**It's the way I'm feeling I just can't deny**

**But I've gotta let it go**

**We found love in a hopeless place**

**We found love in a hopeless place**

**We found love in a hopeless place**

**We found love in a hopeless place**

The lights flashed in time with the beat.

**Yellow diamonds in the light**

**And we're standing side by side**

**As your shadow crosses mine...**

**We found love in a hopeless place**

**We found love in a hopeless place**

**We found love in a hopeless place**

**We found love in a hopeless place**

Nicholas and Luna were just watching back stage while bobbing their heads in time with the beat. Katt was doing the same thing.

**We found love in a hopeless place**

**We found love in a hopeless place**

**We found love in a hopeless place**

**We found love in a hopeless place**

The song came to an end, and the feline was stepped back from the mike to the shouts and cheers. Then Nicholas came up and the band did Drive By, Fine By Me, and Slow My Roll. Then came another 10 minute break. Then the band did Learning to Fly and Green Onions. When it was over, Cody and Ben stepped up to the mike. "Now us two will do the next song," said the black otter. The band began to play Beautiful Soul. The girls in the audience let out fan girl shouts when they realized what the song was. Ben and Cody began to sing into the mike.

**I don't want another pretty face**

**I don't want just anyone to hold**

**I don't want my love to go to waste**

**I want you and your beautiful soul**

**You're the one I wanna chase**

**You're the one I wanna hold**

**I won't let another minute go to waste**

**I want you and your beautiful soul**

Both: **I know that you are something special**

**To you I'd be always faithful**

**I want to be what you always needed**

**Then I hope you'll see the heart in me**

**I don't want another pretty face**

**I don't want just anyone to hold**

**I don't want my love to go to waste**

**I want you and your beautiful soul**

**You're the one I wanna chase**

**You're the one I wanna hold**

**I won't let another minute go to waste**

**I want you and your beautiful soul**

Both: **Your Beautiful Soul**

**Yeah**

The two males sang from the bottom of their hearts. Little did they know that Nami and Lucy were watching them. The she otter's heart seemed to melt as she listened to the singing voice of the guy she loved and it was the same for the female hare. Meanwhile, Tiger had placed his arms around Samantha, and the same applied to Jazerc and Hui-Ying, and Kralie, and Saria. The three couples rocked back and forth.

Cody: **You might need time to think it over**

**But I'm just fine moving forward**

**I'll ease your mind**

**If you give me the chance**

**I will never make you cry c`mon let's try**

Ben and Cody: **I don't want another pretty face**

**I don't want just anyone to hold**

**I don't want my love to go to waste**

**I want you and your beautiful soul**

**You're the one I wanna chase**

**You're the one I wanna hold**

**I won't let another minute go to waste**

**I want you and your beautiful soul**

The two males were singing for the girls they really liked with everything they had.

Ben: **Am I crazy for wanting you?**

**Maybe do you think you could want me too?**

**I don't wanna waste your time**

**Do you see things the way I do?**

**I just wanna know that you feel it too**

**There is nothing left to hide**

Ben and Cody: **I don't want another pretty face**

**I don't want just anyone to hold**

**I don't want my love to go to waste**

**I want you and your beautiful soul**

**You're the one I wanna chase**

**You're the one I wanna hold**

**I won't let another minute go to waste**

**I want you and your soul**

**I don't want another pretty face**

**I don't want just anyone to hold**

**I don't want my love to go to waste**

**I want you and your beautiful soul**

**Ooooooo**

**Beautiful Soul, yeah**

**Oooooo, yeah**

**Your beautiful soul**

**Yeah**

The two finished the song to loud shouting and cheers. Ben then spoke into the mike. "And now it's time for another member to sing. They stepped back so that Fay could sing. The band began to Come Clean. Then the collie started to sing.

**Let's go back**

**Back to the beginning**

**Back to when the earth, the sun, the stars all aligned**

**'Cause perfect didn't feel so perfect**

**Trying to fit a square into a circle**

**was my life**

**I defy**

**Let the rain fall down**

**And wake my dreams**

**Let it wash away**

**My sanity**

**'Cause I wanna feel the thunder**

**I wanna scream**

**Let the rain fall down**

**I'm coming clean, I'm coming clean**

Bill was just looking at Fay with a huge smile on his face. The affection the canine had for her increased even more.

**I'm shedding**

**Shedding every color**

**Trying to find a pigment of truth**

**Beneath my fur**

**'Cause different**

**Doesn't feel so different**

**And going out is better**

**Then always staying in**

**Feel the wind**

**Let the rain fall down**

**And wake my dreams**

**Let it wash away**

**My sanity**

**'Cause I wanna feel the thunder**

**I wanna scream**

**Let the rain fall down**

**I'm coming clean, I'm coming clean**

**Let the rain fall**

**Let the rain fall**

**I'm coming...**

**Let the rain fall down**

**And wake my dreams**

**Let it wash away**

**My sanity**

**'Cause I wanna feel the thunder**

**I wanna scream**

**Let the rain fall down**

**I'm coming clean, **

**I'm coming clean**

**I'm coming clean**

**Let the rain fall**

**Let the rain fall**

**I'm coming clean**

**Let's go back**

**Back to the beginning**

After that song, came another break. Then when it was done, Nicholas took up his position at the mike while Dash put on a wireless one. The band began to play the song Down. After the intro Nicholas began to sing.

**Baby are you down down down down down, **

**Down, Down, **

**Even if the sky is falling down, **

**Down, down**

**Ooh (ohhh)**

**You oughta know, tonight is the night to let it go, **

**Put on a show, I wanna see how you lose control, **

**So leave it behind, coz we, have a night to get away, **

**So come on and fly with me, as we make our great escape.**

**So baby don't worry, you are my only, **

**You won't be lonely, even if the sky is falling down, **

**You'll be my only, no need to worry, **

**Baby are you down down down down down, **

**Down, Down, **

**Baby are you down down down down down, **

**Down, Down, **

**Even if the sky is falling down, **

**Just let it be, come on and bring your body next to me, **

**I'll take you away, hey, turn this place into our private getaway, **

**So leave it behind, coz we, have a night to get away, **

**So come on and fly with me, as we make our great escape, **

**(So why don't we run away)**

**So baby don't worry, you are my only, **

**You won't be lonely, even if the sky is falling down, **

**You'll be my only, no need to worry, **

**Baby are you down down down down down, **

**Down, Down, **

**Baby are you down down down down down, **

**Down, Down, **

**Even if the sky is falling down, **

Dash: **Even if the sky is falling down like she 'posed to be, **

**She gets down low for me, **

**Down like her temperature, cause to me she zero degrees, **

**She cold, like over freeze, **

**I got that girl from overseas, **

**Now she my miss Corneria, **

**Now can I be her soldier please, **

**I'm fighting for this girl, **

**On a battlefield of love, **

**Don't it look like baby cupid sendin arrows from above, **

**Don't you ever leave the side of me, **

**Indefinitely, not probably, **

**And honestly I'm down like the economy, **

**Yeahhhhhh**

Nicholas: **So baby don't worry, you are my only, **

**You won't be lonely, even if the sky is falling down, **

**You'll be my only, no need to worry, **

**Baby are you down down down down down, **

**Down, Down, **

**Baby are you down down down down down, **

**Down, Down, **

**Even if the sky is falling down**

The couples in the audience had enjoyed this one and had been rocking back and forth with each other. Then the band did Wait For You. When it was done, Fara spoke into a wireless mike that she had put on before the show. "Now this next one is for two very special people who are getting married soon." With that, the band began to play Time After Time. Samantha went a bit red, but Tiger just wrapped his arms around her again, and the two rocked back and forth. It was the same for the other couples. Fara then began to sing in her beautiful singing voice.

**Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick,**

**And think of you**

**Caught up in circles confusion-**

**Is nothing new**

**Flashback-warm nights-**

**Almost left behind**

**Suitcases of memories,**

**Time after-**

**Sometimes you picture me-**

**I'm walking too far ahead**

Nicholas came out holding a mike and a spot light shown on him.

**You're calling to me, I can't hear**

**What you've said-**

**Then you say-go slow-**

**I fall behind-**

**The second hand unwinds**

Fara and Nicholas: **If you're lost you can look-and you will find me**

**Time after time**

**If you fall I will catch you-I'll be waiting **

**Time after time**

**If you're lost you can look-and you will find me**

**Time after time**

**If you fall I will catch you-I'll be waiting **

**Time after time**

This was the first song the foxes had done together. Their voices blended together perfected. Meanwhile the couples were looking into each other's eyes as they rocked back and forth.

Fara:** After my picture fades and darkness has **

**Turned to gray**

**Watching through windows-you're wondering**

**If I'm OK**

**Secrets stolen from deep inside**

**The drum beats out of time-**

Fara and Nicholas: **If you're lost you can look-and you will find me**

**Time after time**

**If you fall I will catch you-I'll be waiting **

**Time after time**

The couple's lips met in a kiss.

Fara:** You said go slow-**

**I fall behind**

**The second hand unwinds-**

Fara and Nicholas: **If you're lost you can look-and you will find me**

**Time after time**

**If you fall I will catch you-I'll be waiting **

**Time after time**

**If you're lost you can look-and you will find me**

**Time after time**

**If you fall I will catch you-I'll be waiting **

**Time after time**

Fara:** Time after time...**

**Time after time...**

**Time after time...**

**Time after time...**

The song came to an end and so did the kisses. The girls just leaned their heads onto their lover's shoulders. Fara meanwhile had caught glimpses of them. The vixen wished that one of the couples had been her and Nicholas. Luna hadn't been here during this song since she had been at the bathroom.

Another break came. Then the band did Play That Funky Music. When it was done, Nicholas spoke into the mike. "And now for the final member of the band. She'll sing the next song." He stepped aside so Luna could come out. The she wolf too her position. The band began to play Call Me Maybe. After the intro Luna started to sing.

I **threw a wish in the well,**

**Don't ask me, I'll never tell**

**I looked to you as it fell,**

**And now you're in my way**

**I'd trade my soul for a wish,**

**Credits and checks for a kiss**

**I wasn't looking for this,**

**But now you're in my way**

**Your stare was holdin',**

**Ripped jeans, body was showin'**

**Hot night, wind was blowin'**

**Where you think you're going, baby?**

**Hey, I just met you,**

**And this is crazy,**

**But here's my number,**

**So call me, maybe**

**It's hard to look right,**

**At you baby,**

**But here's my number,**

**So call me, maybe**

**Hey, I just met you,**

**And this is crazy,**

**But here's my number,**

**So call me, maybe**

**And all the other boys,**

**Try to chase me,**

**But here's my number,**

**So call me, maybe**

**You took your time with the call,**

**I took no time with the fall**

**You gave me nothing at all,**

**But still, you're in my way**

**I beg, and borrow and steal**

**Have foresight and it's real**

**I didn't know I would feel it,**

**But it's in my way**

**Your stare was holdin',**

**Ripped jeans, body was showin'**

**Hot night, wind was blowin'**

**Where you think you're going, baby?**

**Hey, I just met you,**

**And this is crazy,**

**But here's my number,**

**So call me, maybe**

**It's hard to look right,**

**At you baby,**

**But here's my number,**

**So call me, maybe**

**Hey, I just met you,**

**And this is crazy,**

**But here's my number,**

**So call me, maybe**

**And all the other boys,**

**Try to chase me,**

**But here's my number,**

**So call me, maybe**

**Before you came into my life**

**I missed you so bad**

**I missed you so bad**

**I missed you so, so bad**

**Before you came into my life**

**I missed you so bad**

**And you should know that**

**I missed you so, so bad**

This was how it had been when Luna first saw Nicholas. At least that's what she felt.

**It's hard to look right,**

**At you baby,**

**But here's my number,**

**So call me, maybe**

**Hey, I just met you,**

**And this is crazy,**

**But here's my number,**

**So call me, maybe**

**And all the other boys,**

**Try to chase me,**

**But here's my number,**

**So call me, maybe**

**Before you came into my life**

**I missed you so bad**

**I missed you so bad**

**I missed you so, so bad**

**Before you came into my life**

**I missed you so bad**

**And you should know that**

**So call me, maybe**

The song came to an end and Nicholas stepped up to sing and play during the last song which was When I'm Gone. When it was over, the audience shouted and clapped. All the band members who had performed, including Luna waved and went off the stage. It had been a fun night for everyone, but especially the ones who had been in the band.


	17. Chapter 17

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 17: Wedding of the Year

Author's notes: Again, some words in the lyrics had to be changed.

X

The date of Tiger and Samantha's wedding was getting closer. The two, even though they had help from their friends and family, couldn't help but feel a little nervous. After all, November 5th would be one of the biggest days of their lives. So both of them decided to take off work in order to get some decent sleep, and to prepare for what was to come.

Two weeks before the wedding, the two asked the entire Star Flight team to come to the event so they could do a few songs since they had played so good during their first gig. The group agreed to do so. Nicholas knew which songs they would do; ones that even the seven knew how to play.

The team wasted no time with getting cloths for the big day. The vulpine had said that the ones they had worn to Prom and that they had brought with them in protection bags were too precious to use. So they had to get something else. Nicholas took the group to two very nice clothing department stores; for the guys it was called H & R Wesley and for the girls they went to Madame's Mosaque. After getting what they needed, they met up again, outside the two stores, but kept their purchases hidden to surprise the others.

Finally before the wedding happened, Nicholas went to another event; Lucas's birthday which fell on November 2end. The older vulpine had missed it last year because he had been on Corneria. Nicholas made sure he wouldn't this year. He didn't invite the rest of the team mainly because they didn't know Lucas that well. It even applied to Ben and Cody who had known Nicholas since all three were kids.

X

At last, November 5th came, and the team was already at Belfino were the wedding would take place after lunch time. The team's mother ship had been parked near the church and the members on board were getting ready. Nicholas came out of his room in a new, black suit with his hair braided and in a ponytail, just like it had been for all the dances he had attended while staying on Corneria. He made his way downstairs to the living room of the ship and waited for the others.

A couple of minutes later, Fara came into the room. She was wearing the necklace the vulpine had given her and was wearing a long, emerald colored dress with matching high heels. Nicholas smiled at her when he saw the vixen.

"How do I look?" asked Fara with a smile and spun around so he could get a full look.

"You look very beautiful," Nicholas said. "You always have and always will." The comment made Fara smile even wider, but also blushed a little. She went over to him to wait for the others. Not long after that, the other guys and girls came out. The females who had been given jewelry to wear had the accessories on, and they gleamed in the light.

"Wow; you look beautiful Luna," said Nicholas when he saw her. The she wolf was wearing a sapphire colored dress with high heels. Her hair had been styled by Katt, but wore it loose.

"Thank you," she said with a smile. Meanwhile Bill was shooting glances at Fay and the same applied to Ben and Lucy, Cody and Nami, and Dash and Yuki when the females weren't looking. Each one looked so beautiful. Little did they know that Fay kept glancing at Bill and the same applied to Lucy and Ben, Nami and Cody, and Yuki and Dash. The one guy they were in love with looked so handsome.

Miyu and Katt noticed these glances and both got a smug look on their faces. Nicholas interrupted their thoughts. "Let's get going," he said. With that, they went out of the mother ship and headed towards the entrance. They were greeted by Sig, Kivuli, Hui-Ying, Jazerc, Kralie, and Saria; all six had been invited as well. After greeting each other, Nicholas, Jazerc, and Kralie went in to the room where Tiger was getting ready, while Katt, Hui-Ying, and Saria went to the room where Samantha was at. The rest of the team members and others talked with each other and went inside to the room were the vows would take place.

X

The guys found Tiger putting the finishing touches on his suit. Both him and soon to be wife had arrived earlier than the other guests. His parents and the best man were already in the room. Everyone looked up when the three newcomers entered.

"We made it," said Nicholas with a wide grin. Tiger just sent him a smirk.

"So how do you feel mate?" asked Kralie.

"A little nervous," said the jungle cat. His father placed a paw on Tiger's shoulder.

"It's not as hard as you think it is son," he said.

"You'll be fine," said Tiger's mother with a smile.

"Yeah, no sweat," said Jazerc. Not long after that, the group left and went to the main room where they met up with the others.

X

Meanwhile, Samantha was being prepared for the big day by Katt, her mother, and her best friend Rina while Hui-Ying and Saria watched. Rina was a hyena, and Samantha's bride maid. The reason the feline was allowed to come in was because she had styled the snow leopard's hair for the day.

"So you styled Samantha's hair?" asked Rina. "You are an artist; I love what you've done."

"Same here," said Saria

"Thank you," said Katt. "Plus it was a lot cheaper for her. Consider it my wedding gift to her."

Soon they had the wedding dress on Samantha. It was a strapless one that went all the way down to the floor. She took a look at herself in a mirror that was in the room and looked a little sad.

"Something wrong?" asked Samantha's mother.

"Nothing; it's just I'm a little nervous. I've never been married before."

"If it makes you feel better, neither has Tiger," said Hui-Ying as Katt placed the veil on top of Samantha's head while Rina took care of the garter that went on the snow leopard's right leg. Not a moment latter did her father come in with the flowers. With that, Katt, Samantha's mother, Hui-Ying, Saria, and Rina left to get to their appropriate spots.

X

All too soon the time came. Everyone was in the main room. Tiger stood at the altar with the minister in the middle with Rina and the best man on either side. The entire Star Flight team, Sig, Kivuli, Hui-Ying, Jazerc, Kralie, and Saria had positions right behind Tiger and Samantha's family who took up the first two rows on either side of the room. It was amazing to see how many other people that weren't family related had come to pay their respects to the bride and groom. It was almost a full house.

The traditional wedding music began to play, and the double doors at the end of the room opened. Everyone in the audience turned to face that way to see Samantha being lead down the aisle by her father. The male snow leopard had a smile on his face, knowing that his daughter was in good paws and that she would be taken care of. Especially during that one incident that had happened to her before where Tiger had saved her.

This was only secondary since everyone only saw the bride. They all let out gasps at her beauty; Samantha really was a beautiful snow leopard. And they could see it.

But she didn't notice this and neither did Tiger. They only had eyes for each other. The jungle cat couldn't take his eyes of her. He could hardly believe that this beauty was going to be by his side for the rest of his life. As for Samantha, she couldn't help but think that this guy was so handsome; the most he'd had ever been would be with her.

The two snow leopards reached the altar, and her father placed Samantha's paw in Tiger's as a symbol that his daughter would be a Bie for the rest of her days. Her father took his position by her mother.

While the minister was talking before the vows would be exchanged, the girls who were in love with a guy couldn't help but let their imagination run wild a little bit. What they imagined was that they were up there with the boy they loved getting married to them.

Finally the time came. "Do you, Tiger Alex Bie, take Samantha May Wells, to be your lawful wedded wife, in sickness and health, now and forever?' asked the minister.

"I do," he vowed.

"And do you, Samantha May Wells, take Tiger Alex Bie, to be your lawful wedded husband, in sickness and health, now and forever?' asked the minister.

"I do," she vowed.

"Then by my power, I herby pronounce this couple, man and wife." The two leaned in and kissed. It only lasted about two seconds, but it was loving and deep. The audience roared their approval and clapped. Tiger and Samantha came apart; they had smiles on their faces and joy in their eyes. This moment they would treasure forever.

X

The reception party took place not too far from the church. All the standard traditions were kept. Nicholas had brought a camera and was taking many pictures; not only so that everyone could remember this, but to also show Cody, Ben, and his parents, plus the parents of the seven.

After having food since it was close to dinner time, two cakes were brought out; one for eating and the other for shoving in someone's face. That part was saved for Tiger and Samantha who did it with much fun. After cleaning up a bit, the other one was passed out among everyone.

Then came the time to throw the bouquet and shoot the garter to see who was to get married next. Samantha tossed the flowers and Hui-Ying caught them. Tiger removed the garter, shot it into the crowd, and it was caught by Kralie. The two turned to their lovers and locked gazes with them.

Finally the music came on, and Tiger pulled in Samantha for the first dance. They were joined by their parents, Hui-Ying, Jazerc, Kralie, and Saria. The rest of the Star Flight Team, Sig and Kivuli quickly joined the program.

"Would you honor me with a dance, Miss McCay?" asked Sig to Luna. The she wolf giggled and placed her paw in his hand as he lead her out. Kivuli asked Amanda, Bill asked Fay, Ben asked Lucy, Dash asked Yuki, Cody asked Nami, and Nicholas asked Fara. Katt and Miyu decided to dance with each other.

Finally the time came for a break from dancing, and for the Star Flight band to play. They made their way to the stage were their instruments were. Luna went up to the mike and spoke. "I will start off first with this." The band began to play Hit Me With Your Best Shot. After the intro, the she wolf began to sing.

**Well you're the real tough cookie with the long history **

**Of breaking little hearts, like the one in me **

**That's O.K., lets see how you do it **

**Put up your dukes, lets get down to it!**

**Hit me with your best shot! **

**Why don't you hit me with your best shot! **

**Hit me with your best shot! **

**Fire away! **

**You come on with a come on, you don't fight fair **

**But that's O.K., see if I care! **

**Knock me down, it's all in vain **

**I'll get right back on my feet again! **

**Hit me with your best shot! **

**Why don't you hit me with your best shot! **

**Hit me with your best shot! **

**Fire away! **

They had the audience going. Everyone was enjoying the music. Tiger and Samantha just had smiles on their faces.

**Well you're the real tough cookie with the long history **

**Of breaking little hearts, like the one in me **

**Before I put another notch in my lipstick case **

**You better make sure you put me in my place **

**Hit me with your best shot! **

**Come on, hit me with your best shot! **

**Hit me with your best shot! **

**Fire away! **

**Hit me with your best shot! **

**Why don't you hit me with your best shot! **

**Hit me with your best shot! **

**Fire away! **

The song came to an end and Luna stepped to the side so that Nicholas could take his position with his bass guitar in front of the mike to the sound of cheering. He then spoke. "This next one will be done by me." He counted off, and the band began to play Sunshine of Your Love. After the intro, the vulpine began to sing.

**It's gettin' near dawn, **

**When lights close their tired eyes. **

**I'll soon be with you my love, **

**To give you my dawn surprise. **

**I'll be with you darling soon, **

**I'll be with you when the stars start falling. **

**I've been waiting so long **

**To be where I'm going **

**In the sunshine of your love. **

**I'm with you my love, **

**The light's shinin' through on you. **

**Yes, I'm with you my love, **

**It's the morning and just we two. **

**I'll stay with you darling now, **

**I'll stay with you till my seeds are dried up. **

**I've been waiting so long **

**To be where I'm going **

**In the sunshine of your love. **

They had they audience going again. Nicholas's just smiled as the band did the bridge. You could see that he was enjoying this. So were the other members that were playing.

**I'm with you my love, **

**The light's shinin' through on you. **

**Yes I'm with you my love, **

**It's the morning and just we two. **

**I'll stay with you darling now, **

**I'll stay with you till my seeds are dried up. **

**I've been waiting so long **

**I've been waiting so long **

**I've been waiting so long **

**To be where I'm going **

**In the sunshine of your love. **

The song came to an end and after the applause had died down, Nicholas spoke after putting down his instrument. "This final one is for Tiger and Samantha since it fits them." The band began to play Telling This Place ( the Star Fox version of Telling The World). After the intro the vulpine began to sing.

**Every part in my heart I'm giving out**

**Every song on my lips I'm singing out**

**Any fear in my soul I'm letting go**

**And anyone who ask I'll let them know**

**She's the one, she's the one**

**I say it loud**

**She's the one, she's the one**

**I say it proud**

**Ring a bell, Ring a bell**

**For the whole crowd**

**Ring a bell, Ring a bell**

**I'm telling this place**

**That I've found a girl**

**The one I can live for**

**The one who deserves**

**Every part in my heart I'm giving out**

**Every song on my lips I'm singing out**

**Any fear in my soul I'm letting go**

**And anyone who ask I'll let them know**

**She's the one, she's the one**

**I say it loud**

**She's the one, she's the one**

**I say it proud**

**Ring a bell, Ring a bell**

**For the whole crowd**

**Ring a bell, Ring a bell**

**I'm telling this place**

**That I've found a girl**

**The one I can live for**

**The one who deserves**

**To give all my heart**

**A reason to fly**

**The one I can live for**

**A reason for life**

**Oe oh oe oh**

**Yeah yeah**

**Oe oh oe oh**

**Yeah yeah**

**Oe oh oe oh**

**Yeah yeah**

**Oe oh oe oh**

**Yeah yeah**

**I'm telling this place**

**That I've found a girl**

**The one I can live for**

**The one who deserves**

**To give all my heart**

**A reason to fly**

**The one I can live for**

**A reason for life**

**Oe oh oe oh**

**Yeah yeah**

**Oe oh oe oh**

**Yeah yeah**

**Oe oh oe oh**

**Yeah yeah**

**Oe oh oe oh**

**Yeah yeah**

Samantha just had tears of happiness in her eyes the entire time. When the song came to an end, the band was greeted with even more applause and cheers. They had done a wonderful job.

X

Not long after that, the party came to an end. Tiger and Samantha left for the hotel where they would stay during their honeymoon. The other guests watched them drive off before heading to their homes. It had been a wonderful wedding.


	18. Chapter 18

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 18: A Proposition and Improvement

Bliss and happiness; those two words were the only ones that could describe how Tiger and Samantha felt. Although the honeymoon lasted only a week, it was a magical time for both of them. The two spent it at Belfino, doing just about everything the city had to offer, while letting people easily spot their rings to show that they were married. And every night in their hotel room, the two passionately made love in every position and every type.

Meanwhile, Cds had been made and delivered of Star Flight's first gig to those that had attended it. Nicholas figured that they would have to do another one sometime in the future. But not for awhile.

X

Tiger and Samantha came back to work at their jobs again. They had taken a lot of pictures which they showed the team. But then during the second week after the honeymoon, Samantha stopped showing up at the bar. Tiger told the team that she was busy with her work, and couldn't come to the bar during the evenings.

Sometime during the last week of November, the team was at the bar as usual. But tonight was one that would offer them an opportunity. Tiger looked up when the group entered.

"Welcome back," he said with a smile. They all nodded at him. Suddenly, an announcement on the TVs came on.

"That time is almost here amongst us; the racing season!" said the announcer, a male sparrow. Everyone perked their ears to hear him better. "If you wish to compete, head down to your city's racing garage and sign up! Further details will be given out latter." The regular program then came back on.

"What was that about?" asked Fara.

"Besides regular sports and part Cerinians competing against each other, racing is one of the biggest sports on the planet," said Nicholas."Many species get involved with this. I've always wanted to compete in this but have never had the chance."

"I think I can help with that since I have a proposition for you guys," said Tiger. "My wife Samantha, besides being a flower store owner, is also head of a racing team and is looking for fast drivers to race for her. I think you guys can do it seeing how you handled my payment from before. If you're interested, here is the contract with just a few trifles for me and Samantha. All the racers get these, so it's no big deal."

Tiger tossed the contract towards Fay who caught it. "Let's see," said the collie. She then began to read the document at a really fast pace.

"We the racers hereby agree to give Tiger and Samantha all proceeds from race earnings, endorsement fees, broadcast royalties, syndications residuals, vehicle sponsorships, mall appearance fees, collectible card assets, fast-food tie-ins, use of likeness rights, talk show deals, clothing lines, all print rights including book, novella, comic, pamphlet, ticker tape, neon sign and bathroom graffiti designs…"

The others nearly fell asleep in the middle of Fay's reading of the contract, before coming back to reality with a jerk of their heads. Meanwhile, the collie took a really a deep breath and continued.

"Toy rights, shoe lines, mood rings, story rights..." she stopped and looked up in shock.

"STORY RIGHTS?!"

Fay looked back at the document and continued to reading the contract at an incredible rate. "Vitamin endorsements, city kickbacks, movie deals, and of course, all death and dismemberment accident insurance claims." The collie finished and looked at Tiger suspiciously.

"Don't worry," he said. "That last part is just a worst case scenario; no one has died while racing. We can also work out the tiny details later. If all of you can get from here to the Teirm race garage in the downtown area in less than four minutes, my wife said that she would consider letting all of you drive for her team."

"Sounds exciting," said Miyu; the lynx had a grin on her face. "I'm for it."

"Same here," said Katt.

"Then go and make me and her proud," said Tiger.

X

The team found single zoomers waiting for them outside the bar. They looked like the ones that they had used to deliver Tiger's payment, except these were one seaters and had no platforms attached to the back.

"I've got her on the line so she knows you're coming," said Tiger. "Just follow Nicholas, Ben, and Cody. They know the way. Get ready…. Go!" The zoomers that the team were on launched forward.

Everyone could easily handle these vehicles with no problem. They made it to the garage without a problem with a minute to spare. They made their way to the building and went in.

"Hello? Samantha?" Nicholas called out.

"Well, you got here faster than I thought you would," said a voice. The team looked and saw Rina sitting on a bench.

"Hey, I recognize you from the wedding," said the vulpine. "Rina, right?" The hyena nodded.

"I see you made it in one piece," said another voice. The team looked to see Samantha on a video screen. "I'm sorry I can't be here to greet you."

"That's alright," said Nicholas with a grin. "As long as we can talk, I'm cool with that."

"So which of you on the team are interested?" asked the snow leopard. "Not all of you have to do it since I managed to get three others." All the guys on the team stepped right up, along with Fara, Luna, Miyu, Katt, and Yuki.

"Very good," said Samantha. "It's nice that we have a lot of diversity for our racers." She then turned to the others who hadn't offered to race.

"I know you're a mechanic Fay, so you along with Rina will take care of that part." The collie just smiled. "As for the remaining ones, they will be the ones to give us support while the racers are out on the track and take care of any expenses or other non mechanical problems that may come up." The other girls nodded. They felt they could easily do that.

"Now you need to meet the other three racers," said Samantha.

"What other three?" asked Nicholas. Suddenly a voice spoke out from a darkened corner.

"It's been a long time, Nicholas."

"Fuck; not this guy," the vulpine growled. He wired around and came face to face with an olive, green bald eagle. He was wearing a brown shirt, with the sleeves cut off to reveal his arms which had spiral tattoos on them. The same ones that Nicholas had. The avian had light blue eyes, and wore jeans with black boots.

"Pecker! What the fuck are you doing here?!" asked Nicholas. He was clearly not happy to see this guy.

"Samantha Bie offered for me to drive for her team,' said the eagle in a cold voice."Got a problem with that?"

"Oh for fuck's sake, I knew this would happen," said another voice behind pecker. Out stepped two more avians. One had spiky, white hair that was cut short. Her eye color was the same as Pecker's and around those parts of her body was a thick, black line. On her beak was a thin, grey line, and her feather color was white. She wore a sleeveless purple shirt with black lines on it that exposed her arms. They had the line tattoos that Nicholas had around his ankles. She wore with boots, and black pants.

The other one had light, blue colored feathers and had green colored eyes. Her yellow beak didn't have any lines on it, but there was a thin, black line under each of her eyes. She wore a black, leather jacket and jeans with matching boots.

"If you two are going to argue like this, you'll make us look bad," said the white, female avian.

"Keep out of this Bryn," said Pecker. "You have no business with this, little sister."

"I don't believe this," said the light, blue avian. "You see Nicholas again, and this is how you act? I thought you promised not to do this when the time came when you would see him again." Pecker's face softened.

"You're right Celestia, I did," he said. He went over and gently squeezed her fingers with his. "I'm sorry."

"You're forgiven," she said and kissed Pecker on the check. Nicholas noticed this.

"You two are going out?" he asked.

"Yes we are," said Celestia with a smile.

"So you finally got a girl," said the vulpine to Pecker. "Good for you."

"Now that the introductions have been made, you can all head back," said Samantha. "This was just a day to meet each other. We'll come back latter during the first week of January when the racing season starts."

X

"So what exactly is up with you and that Pecker guy?" asked Amanda to Nicholas while the team was having dinner latter that evening.

"You noticed, huh?' asked the vulpine."That guy and I have had history between us."

"Like you and Hui-Ying?" asked Nami.

"Nothing like that. It's a bit worse," said Nicholas. "It's not exactly that we hate each other, we just don't see eye to eye. But if we need to work together, we can."

"Do you know more about him and those other two?' asked Yuki."We saw that all three were part Cerinians like you."

"Well I don't know much about Celestia; I've only seen her a few times in the past. But I know Pecker and Bryn a bit better since they're the son and daughter of Equila and Nova."

"Really?" asked Lucy. "Pecker and Bryn don't look like it."

"Oh they are" said the vulpine. "Pecker got his arm and face color from his dad. You didn't see it, but Equila's entire body, except his arms and face, is the same olive green color as his son. I know this because Equila was swimming and I saw this one time in the past. Bryn mainly got her color from her mother's body except the arms, along with her father's arms and lower face. Everyone knows who they're children are."

"So what did you mean earlier about part Cerinians competing against each other?" asked Fara.

"There's a tournament held once a year during early June were part Cerinians that aren't rulers fight to see who is the strongest. As you can probably guess, it's one of the biggest events of the planet and year. The ways that one can win a match is by either making the opponent stay down for ten seconds, knock them out of the arena, or having them say mercy."

"Sounds exciting," said Miyu. "Do any of the other planets in this system get to compete in this tournament?"

"A lot of visitors from them come to watch," said Nicholas. "Not many do compete because most of the part Cerinians live on Eladard while only a few live on the other platens. The rest just watch."

"What about non Cerinians who have a weapon of your race?' asked Fara.

"If they have one, they can compete it they want to," the vulpine responded. "The last time one did was over 50 years ago. He was the last one out of a group of ten non Cerinians that received a weapon that participated. He won the whole thing, and then went into retirement with his part Cerinian wife. He's been dead now for ten years."

"So what other rules are there?' asked Fay.

"Well killing is forbidden, but you can use any weapons, even a Cerinian one."

"Wait, I thought that Cerinian weapons could break another one," said Luna.

"What I meant when I said that is that it only happens when the user is about to die," said Nicholas. "The weapon of the one who is going to be killed basically becomes weak, losing its enchaintments, and allowing the other one to break it."

"The youngest a part Cerinian can compete is at the age of 15. I myself entered at that age and managed to get in the finals. I wasn't able to enter in the tournament last year because I was on Corneria. My brother, and all the other part Cerinians that you've met did really well; they made it into the top 16 which are the finalists."

"Will you enter this year?' asked Fara.

"Yes," said Nicholas. "This time I'll win for sure."

X

The team was working with weapons again on the ship the next day. They had already finished hand to hand combat practicing. The seven were getting better in that field of fighting. Nicholas and Fara were fighting again with each other. At one point, the vixen delivered such a powerful blow, that both wooden training swords went flying out of their grasps. The vulpine smiled.

"Just leave it," he said as Fara went to pick it up. "Take a break. I'll take care of it." He did so, while the vixen watched everyone else. The same thing happened to the other seven.

After all the swords had been put away, Nicholas had everyone gather around. He had seven beam sword hilts with him. "You seven have done well, but you've gone so far with the wooden swords. There is nothing else you can gain from them. Now it's time to move to the real thing."

"We'll cut each other to ribbons," said Fara.

"That's true," said the vulpine. "Unless we do this." He took the beam sword hilt from his belt. He twisted a little dial on the bottom of the weapon. Activating the blade, he slashed at his left paw, with the palm up. The seven jumped, but were too slow to stop him. They were astonished when Nicholas raised the paw and saw that it was uninjured.

"How did you do that?" asked Luna.

"Feel the edge," said Nicholas. They all did so and discovered that the blade was dull. It wasn't sharp at all. "I've turned down the power of the weapon so that it won't cut. Try it with one of these."

After selecting their weapon and getting them to the right dullness, the seven took up ready stances against the same partner that they had before.

"Now get ready," said Nicholas to Fara. "Remember, these swords won't cut us, but they can still break bones. I want to avoid that, so for my ancestors and god's sake, don't flail about as usual. A blow to the neck could be fatal."

The vixen nodded and lashed out without warning. The vulpine deflected her blue beam sword with his green one. The weapon felt slow and heavy to Fara after fighting with wooden swords for so long. Unable to move her sword fast enough, she received a sharp rap on the right knee.

Sometime later, everyone was in the hot tub. The seven had large welts, more so than their partners. They spent the time talking about upcoming events while their injuries got healed by the hot water. Then they usual routine after dinner happened before they went to bed.


	19. Chapter 19

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 19: Celebrations

"I don't know Fara; I don't really like the idea of you racing. It sounds dangerous," said Stephanie to her daughter through the computer screen as she was talking about being part of a racing team. It was the first week of December, and there was a buzz of Christmas on all the planets that celebrated the holiday. The team had been keeping in contact with their families and friends, but they weren't allowed to reveal anything about Nicholas and stuff about his home planet. But the things they did were allowed to be talked about. Allen and Stephanie looked towards one another while Fara and Nicholas watched them.

The vulpine just rolled his eyes when the vixen's parents weren't looking. He had had a similar conversation with Miyu and Luna's parents about letting those two racing. The lynx's mother and father had been a little reluctant, but had allowed Miyu to race. But when it came to Michel and Janie McCay, it had been like pulling teeth since they didn't want their daughter Luna to join the team because they thought it was dangerous. After telling the two older wolves that he would make sure that she wouldn't get hurt, her parents had allowed her to race. Stephanie and Allen turned their attention back to the two younger foxes.

"Come on mom it's not dangerous enough like football where I can break something, or like track where I could pull a muscle or rip a ligament," said Fara. "The worse that could happen is that I'll get thrown out of the vehicle."

"And that's what worries me," Stephanie defended her point. "People can still get injured from when they land."

"It's not as bad as you think," said Nicholas. "The racers wear helmets to protect their heads. Really strong ones. Plus they also wear leather jackets and pants to protect the rest of their bodies." Stephanie was about to defend her point again until Allen pulled her to the side out of Nicholas and Fara's view.

"We should let her," he said.

"Your really will allow her?" asked the older vixen.

"Yes, because I can see it in our daughter's eyes that she wants to do this no matter what. Once she's made up her mind about something, Fara will do it. You know this."

"I do, but I still don't like it Allen," Stephanie sighed as she could tell there was no point arguing.

"Do you really think Nicholas would let her do this if it was that dangerous? He'll make sure that nothing happens to her."

They moved back into the two younger foxes sights. "Stephanie, I know that you don't like it, but I'll make sure nothing happens to Fara," said Nicholas. "The moment it gets really dangerous, I'll pull her out, okay?"

"Alright," said Stephanie. "You can join, but be careful, okay honey?"

Fara's face lit up with excitement. "Thanks mom and dad; I really appreciate what you guys are doing for me. And don't worry, I'll be careful. It can't be worse than flying a ship."

After a few more words, the call was ended. Nicholas placed a paw on Fara's left shoulder. The vixen stiffened and looked up to see the vulpine who had a huge grin on his muzzle.

"Yes?" she asked shyly, while a little bit of blush came onto her face. Ever since the two had danced at the wedding of Tiger and Samantha, Fara's love for the vulpine had increased even more.

"Nothing; it's just that now we've got the ok for everyone," said Nicholas. Dash and Yuki had already talked to her parents and the two had allowed her to join the team. "This is going to be fun."

X

The racing season would start during the first week of January and lasted to the end of May before the tournament were part Cerinians competed against each other. But now the team had to focus on Christmas and New Years.

Nicholas figured that even though he knew Tiger and Samantha quite well, he suspected that the two would want to spend this Christmas alone. The vulpine knew for a fact that Hui-Ying, Jazerc, Kralie, and Saria would want to spend the holiday with their families. But he knew that Mitch, Brooke, Reed, Hikari, and their families would come over to see him, Lucas, and their family. And of course Sarah and her parents would come over as well.

The rest of the team was getting ready for the season. Their presents to give to others had been bought, and had managed to decorate the ship. Nicholas, although he mainly lived on the ship, decided to sleep in his old room on the night before the 25th. He knew that his mother would like that.

X

The day came with snow falling from the sky. The calls to family were made before everyone met up at the house of the vulpine at around 10:00.

Lucas answered the door when the first ring came. He opened it and saw none other than his beautiful vixen girlfriend Sarah standing there with gifts or her own with snow on her long, green hair. The young vulpine gave her a wide grin, and she wrapped her arms around him and found his lips. Just like she had done on his birthday when Lucas turned 18; the same one Nicholas had managed to attend. He returned the gesture and kissed her back, wrapping his orange arms around her green body. After a few moments, the two young lovers came apart.

"Merry Christmas, sweet heart," said Sarah. Lucas gave her a kiss on the check. Brooke, Mitch, Reed, and Hikari came right behind her.

Before long, all the guests were in the living room, taking turns with opening their presents after introductions and reunions had happened. Nicholas was wearing the scarf that Fara had given him last year; just like always. Lucas and Sarah stayed next to each other, and Mitch did the same thing with Brooke. Although it made the older vulpine happy that their relationships were working out, it left him sad. All because of what had happened with him and his last girlfriend. After the incident, Nicholas had sworn not to fall in love again. He didn't want to have his heart broken again.

After the presents were done, the team showed everyone else the pictures that had been taken during the time they had been here, including the wedding of Tiger and Samantha. Linden and Vincent got wide grins when they saw a picture of Nicholas and Fara dancing at that event. They thought it was so cute.

Later on, the time came for everyone to go home. Lucas walked Sarah back to her house. They stopped by her front door. "I'll see you tomorrow, and if not on New Year's Eve," said the vulpine. The green vixen put on a little frown.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't want to leave you," she said. Lucas brought her in for a hug.

"I don't either, but I must," he whispered into her ear. "But some of me is still with you."

Sarah giggled and asked, "What?" Lucas pulled back to look at her.

"My heart. It will always be yours since I love you." The green vixen just smiled with happiness. Even though it wasn't the first time he'd told her that, she stilled loved it when he did.

"Then my heart is also yours since I love you to," she said. The vulpine grinned at her.

After giving her a small kiss good night Lucas turned to leave, but Sarah reached for his paw and pulled him in for a deeper kiss. Although it was nice, it seemed a bit strange; as the vixen was now getting…_lustful_. A bit more so than usual. The vulpine didn't know what to think about it; maybe it was just another change. After breaking it off she saw Lucas's dumbstruck expression, and let out a small giggle.

"Where did that come from?" He asked in an astonished tone.

"Oh I don't know. For fun I guess." She was partially lying, partially telling the truth. Even she didn't know where that came from. Perhaps it was just an even greater desire to be with her vulpine boyfriend, though he didn't seem to care either way. After another quick kiss and a gentle hug he departed for the night, a bit of a twist added it seemed. As he headed home under the night sky, he wondered to himself on just how everything would play out during the following days.

X

New Year's Eve came and everyone met up with each other again, this time in the mother ship of Star Flight since it offered the most things to do. The team couldn't help but notice the Reed seemed to act a bit flustered whenever Hikari was around him. They couldn't help but wonder is maybe Mitch's younger brother was beginning to fall for the beautiful, female wolf with red hair. As it turned out, she told some of the other female members that she really liked Reed in a romantic way. The team couldn't help but also notice that Lucas and Sarah's love for each other had increased. It was the same for Mitch and Brooke. They didn't know that the same situation that had happened to the two younger foxes at the end of Christmas had also happened for the young wolves. Eventually the time came for people to go home so that they could sleep. And they would certainly need it for the racing season that was fast approaching.

Author's notes: Not very detailed, I know. But now, things are going to get interesting.


	20. Chapter 20

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 20: First Race

Author's notes: Check the link next to Items and Weapons part 3 in my profile to see what the racing vehicles will look like. To get an idea of what the race suits look like, go to this link on the website e621: /post/show/298858/armor-blue_eyes-canine-desert-female-fox-gun-halo_

X

The day finally came for the first race of the season. According to Nicholas there would be seven races. The first six would each be represented by one elemental king and queen. The final one would be represented by the high king and queen. All teams would move on after each race regardless of what place they got in, but only the top four could enter the final race. The way a team got in first was for any one of their members to cross the finish line before any of the other teams. Only one race would be held a day and spread out over the months from January to late May before the tournament that part Cerinians competed in was held during June.

Only those 18 and older can compete in these races, and even though Lucas, Mitch, Brooke, and Sarah were old enough, they weren't entering. Neither were Hui-Ying, Jazerc, Kralie, and Saria. But they all told Team Star Flight that they would be watching and supporting them when they learned that the group was entering.

The group had come up with the name Team Diverse, simply because they were so many different kinds of species on the team. Everyone seemed to agree that it fitted them.

Fara awoke on the morning of the race, feeling excited, but nervous. But she knew that she had her friends, team mates, and especially Nicholas to help her see this through. The racing gear that would be worn was at the racing and stadium area where all of these races would take place.

After getting up early, and having breakfast, the team made their way to the area on their mother ship. "So how do teams advance to the next race?" asked Miyu.

"There are nine others besides us are competing for a total of ten," said Nicholas. "All of the teams will advance to the next races, regardless of what position they get in. But only the top four will go to the final race. How it's done is that when a racer of a team crosses the finish line, their team is awarded a certain amount of points; ten for first, nine for second, eight for third, and so on. The points are added on after each race. Only the four with the highest amount of points go to the final race."

"So that means we have to win in either first, second, third, or fourth every time to make it to the last one," said Fara.

"That's right," said the vulpine. "But let's try to aim for first for all of them."

The ship made it to the stadium and the crew got out finding the rest of the racing team waiting for them. To their surprise Tiger, Sig, Kivuli, Hui-Ying, Jazerc, Kralie, Saria, Lucas, Sarah, Mitch, Brooke, Reed, and Hikari were also there to. Vincent, Linden, and Jeanette weren't there because they had their jobs that day. But they had wished Nicholas good luck earlier that morning. They had given him permission to race, and so had Ben and Cody's parents. Those four weren't also there because of their jobs.

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Nicholas.

"They came here to watch you and wish you luck," said Samantha. A floating screen came into view and the team could see the snow leopard's face on it. She was using it to communicate with everyone. "I'm sorry that I can't be there. But I'll be watching the race on T.V."

"Why is it that you haven't been showing up as of late?' asked Nicholas."I get the feeling something is up."

"You're right," said Samantha. "But that will have to wait until the next race. I've got a surprise that I want to show all of you. Now let's get the teams to the garage where the racers are." The group who was racing and the ones watching separated.

The racing group entered the garage; this one was much bigger than the one at Teirm. Fay and Rina led the group towards their vehicles. Each one had two front wheels that held up the body. The front came down at a slope. It had a steering wheel and controls right in the middle. Then came the seat, and below that were two exhaust pipes. On each was the title Team Diverse.

"We've made it to have good and easy handling," said Fay. "They're also in the color that you requested."

"What do you think?" asked Rina.

"I love them," said Katt.

"These will work," said Miyu. The rest of the group's racers all agreed.

"Now we need to figure out who's going to race for this one," said Samantha. "Only four of you can." Pecker, Bryn, Celestia, and Miyu all volunteered. "Then let's get you into your racing suits."

Soon the four had them on. They each wore a helmet that was shaped like their heads that completely covered that part of the body. On the upper part went a leather jacket that when zipped up, looked like a battle suit. The jacket even had shoulder pads. Leather gloves went on their paws and wings. For the bottom, they wore leather pants that also looked like the bottom parts of battle suits. To complete the outfit, they all wore boots. The only part of the body that wasn't covered where their tails.

The colors of each of their outfits matched the natural colors of their bodies. Miyu's was light orange and had black spots, and so on for the other three. "I look so cool," said the lynx.

Suddenly, a voice was heard over the speakers, "Attention everyone; the race will soon begin. Please make your way to Dome One."

"Follow me," said Samantha on the screen. "This garage has a way for us to get there. The vehicles will be taken separately."

X

The group soon reached the dome where the race would take place. When they entered, they were shocked to see that it looked like they had stepped into Sana Forest. Around the area at the ends of the dome were stands with thousands of species were sitting in.

"What the hell is this?" asked Bill.

"It's like I thought," said Nicholas. "Since each of the races will be represented by an elemental king and queen, it only makes sense to create a track that represents the area they rule. Since this is based on Sana Forest, it seems that our representatives are Leonidas and Eris Earth."

"Now the ones racing need to go down to the track," said Samantha on the screen. "The rest need to head to the team's pit stop area." The group then split up. Nicholas saw that all of the friends and family the team knew were sitting above his team's area. But those guys were looking towards the starting line were all the racers were parked.

Miyu found her vehicle; its colors matched the ones that she wore. The same applied to Pecker, Bryn, and Celestia. The four got on their vehicles and waited for the race to begin.

The group's friends saw the racers they knew out on the track. "Do you think they're nervous?" asked Brooke.

"I'd say there's a good chance that they are," said Sig, who sat on the she wolf's left. "I was for my first race."

"What happened?" asked Mitch who was on Brooke's right.

"Er… I can't exactly remember," said the silver mountain gorilla. "I crashed and got thrown out of my racer about ten minutes into the race. Woke up a day latter to find out that my team had won in first."

Down in the pit stop area of the team, they had turned on four monitors. Their teammate's vehicles appeared on the screen so that they could be viewed throughout the entire race.

Suddenly, a booming voice came on that echoed in the dome. "Welcome race fans to another season of high speed racing!" An image appeared at all corners that showed two species to the roar of the crowd. One was the sparrow that had made the announcement about the season after Tiger and Samantha's wedding. "As usual, yours truly, G.T. Blitz, will give you a pit row view of all the action along with my co-worker, Katie Blister." He indicated the specie next to him, a female coyote.

"That's right G.T.," she said. "It's turn out to be quite a competition as we can see teams from last year and new ones. In the end, only one team will claim the grand prize of being the best racers on Eladard. And here to represent the race today are the elemental king and queen of earth, Leonidas and Eris Earth!"

The two rulers came out at a top point of the dome that was a place for the representatives to sit at; kinda like one of those box office seats that are found at football and baseball stadiums. The species in the stands cheered even louder when they appeared.

"People of Eladard," said Leonidas. "Today we'll watch as these teams race for honor, glory, and dreams to prove who the best is. Race well!"

At that, the racers started their engines and their vehicles came to life. Miyu just turned her attention to what was in front of her. A beeping sound came on. After it went off five times, Eris Earth rang the gong that was next to her and her king. The noise was loud enough for everyone to hear.

As soon as the instrument was rung, the racers launched forward to begin. Miyu, Pecker, Bryn, and Celestia had no idea on what the track would be like, but they were determined to do their best.

The first length of the course was a winding stretch through woods. It required Miyu to make some pretty sharp turns; but not too difficult thanks to Fay and Rina's work on her racer. The lynx would have to thank them latter.

Suddenly another competitor rammed his vehicle against Miyu's left. With a growl, the lynx responded and pushed him back. Her team saw this on the screen.

"She'd better loose that guy before he sends her off course," said Fay, looking nervous. Nicholas remanded calm.

Miyu did, and she and the other members of the team made it out of the winding path to a flat area with trees on either side. But there were sink holes that had water in them. The lynx, feeling daring, hit the accelerator. Her vehicle shot forward. She passed one racer after the other.

Suddenly, one of the ones ahead of Miyu ran into one of the sink holes. Her vehicle hit the edge, and the driver, an ocelot, went flying.

"Oh!" said G.T. "Looks like one unlucky racer hit the sink holes. That's gotta hurt!"

The next part of the race was going through tunnels that resembled trees and over wooden bridges that were all suspend over cliffs that lead down into gorges. The tunnels had lights so the racers could see where they were going.

Miyu, Pecker, Bryn, and Celestia made it through with no problem. Thanks to the lynx, the group's position was in the top four.

"And here they come!" shouted Katie from the announcer stand. The racers came across the starting line to the roar of the crowd. The group and their friends could clearly see their racers.

"They're doing well so far," said Yuki.

"Yes, but they still need to complete two more circuits," said Dash.

It seemed that the other teams were now getting rougher, as they were doing everything they could to make sure they got in the lead.

"Looks like things are heating up on the track!" said G.T.

"I hope those four will be alright," said Nami.

"They'll be fine," said Cody.

Miyu meanwhile, had to deal with being rammed by other racers. She responded back every time one did. It was the same for Pecker, Bryn, and Celestia.

But those four focused even harder, and managed to pull ahead to the point that all of them were behind four others. Now the question was who would cross the finish line first.

Sometime later, the racers crossed the starting line again, leading into the final circuit.

"Hey, pull over!" Pecker shouted at the racer in front of him.

The driver heard this since the avian was close enough. "Eat my dust!" he shouted, and hit the accelerator. Pecker did the same thing.

Meanwhile, the other three were trying to get by the others in front of them. But this was proving to be difficult because the racers in front of them kept cutting the three females off. Then, just before they hit the flat area of the course, did Miyu, Bryn, and Celestia manage to pass the racers in front of them. The three ladies hit the accelerators on their vehicles, and caught up to Pecker.

"All four are almost in first!" Lucas exclaimed from the stands. He along with the spectators could see the action on the screens that were floating around the dome.

The racer in front of Miyu, Pecker, Bryn, and Celestia was doing a good job of cutting the four off. But then, Bryn rammed her racer against the cutter. He went to the side and hit one of the sink holes.

"Let's go!" shouted her brother, and all four floored the engines and shot even further. They made it through the last part and crossed the finish line.

"And that's it!" shouted G.T. "The four from Team Diverse has won the first race!" The audience members roared. Miyu, Pecker, Bryn, and Celestia came to a stop and saw the rest of their team coming out onto the track, running towards them.

The lynx got a group hug by the remaining seven and Katt. The other guys were giving the other three racers high fives. Nicholas and Samantha on her screen just looked on with a smile.

X

At the end of the race, all the teams went to a platform that rose up towards Leonidas and Eris Earth. After saying a few words, everyone was dismissed. The scores were posted for everyone to see along with the information on when the next race would be. It would take place in three weeks. The group was having a meeting in their garage where they had gone to before the race.

"You did really well Miyu," said Nicholas. "It makes me proud that you're a member of Star Flight." The lynx just rubbed the back of her head with her right paw, a little embarrassed.

"I have to admit Pecker, you've got some skills," the vulpine continued.

"Some skills? Is that all you can say?" he asked annoyed. "Then let's see if you can do any better."

"Very well," said Nicholas. "I will since I'll race for our team during the next race."

"Sounds fine," said Samantha. "Then we'll meet again in three weeks. And this time, I'll be there in the flesh."

The group left the garage not long after that to head to their homes.

Author's notes: I don't know how the race description went, but hopefully it wasn't too bad. With this as practice, the next one will be better.


	21. Chapter 21

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 21: Surprise and Second Race

A week had passed since the first race, and Lucas had the whole house to himself. Linden and Vincent weren't in the dwelling at the moment. In fact, they weren't on Eladard. The two older foxes were on a vacation by themselves to Cerinia. They did it once a year to visit two pure blood Cerinians that they were good friends with.

"A trip to Cerinia?" asked Fara. Nicholas nodded. The vulpine had just finished explaining the situation to his team in the main control and briefing room of their ship.

"Yeah, so they asked me to help look over the house along with my grandma," he said. "My parents will be gone for two weeks."

"Then they'll be back in time for the second race," said Amanda.

"If everything goes alright," Nicholas responded. He thought back to the conversation he had with his parents before they left.

X

_One week ago…._

"Be sure to say hi to Mars and Jade for me," said Jeanette.

"We will," said Vincent. Linden gave her sons a hug.

"Take care of things while we're gone," said the vixen.

"Yes mom," said Lucas.

"Do you think there's a couple of things you could do for me while on Cerinia?" asked Nicholas.

"What exactly?" asked Vincent.

"If you obtain any Cerinian trinkets or small objects, bring them back so I can give them to my team," said his oldest son. "Also, if you do show pictures to Mars and Jade make sure Krystal doesn't see me." The blue vixen was their daughter.

"Why would we do that?' asked Linden."I'm sure Krystal would love to see how you're doing."

"I know that," said Nicholas. "But something in my gut is telling me that it would be better if she didn't see pictures of me. I've been getting them as of late, and every time I've listened to them, it's been for the best."

"Okay then," said Vincent. "We'll do that." The two older foxes boarded the shuttle not long after that.

X

_Back in the present…._

"Nicholas?" asked Miyu. "You seem out of it." The vulpine jerked back to reality.

"I'm fine," he said. "I was just thinking about what I said to my parents when they left."

"So what is their reason for going to Cerinia?" asked Fay.

"To visit two old friends of theirs; Mars and Jade, two pure blood Cerinians."

"How did they meet?' asked Luna.

"Back when the four were young, Mara and Jade would come to Eladard for trips for experience," said Nicholas. "They would stay with my mom and dad's places while visiting. This lead to a friendship that has grown over the years. When my parents got married, Mars and Jade came as guests. Then nine months later, I was born, and those two came to see me."

"Mars and Jade then got married seven years after my parents did. So they, along with my brother and I went to Cerinia to attend it. About nine months after that, their daughter was born. So my family and I took another trip to see her."

"What did they name her?" asked Nami.

"Krystal; the very same one I've told you about," said the vulpine. "She's about 13 now."

"Does she and her parents come to Eladard?" asked Bill.

"They do, but not this time," said Nicholas. "Because their daughter is 13, she's about to go through some major ceremonies. So they can't leave Cerinia."

After a few more words, the team left the room to continue with the day's activities.

X

Vincent and Linden returned just as they said they would, a day before the next race. They did it so they could catch their oldest son before the event that happened the next day. Their family gave them a welcome home hug.

After telling about how the trip went, they handed Nicholas several packages. They also told their son that Krystal hadn't seen any pictures of him. The vulpine thanked them, and took the parcels to his room on the mother ship. He opened them up, and saw that his parents had brought back necklaces, earrings, rings, and small statues. Nicholas decided to store these things in the vault.

The next day, the team made their way to the racing and stadium area like the last time for the first race. Once again, Tiger, Sig, Kivuli, Hui-Ying, Jazerc, Kralie, Saria, Lucas, Sarah, Mitch, Brooke, Reed, and Hikari were there. But so were Linden, Vincent, Jeanette, Trevor, Taylor, James, and Nicole to wish them good luck.

"Say, were is Samantha?' asked Lucy after this was done.

"Right here," said a voice. Everyone turned to see the snow leopard standing right there. She made her way to Tiger. As she did so, Nicholas and all the other part Cerinians in the group sensed something inside the snow leopard. The vulpine's eyebrows went up. It wasn't what he'd been expecting. She turned towards the group.

"Hey guys," said Samantha with a smile. They saw her stomach, and it was round with a child.

"Samantha….," said Fara.

"Yes, I'm pregnant," she said, and rubbed both of her paws lovingly on the area. "Can you sense them Nicholas?"

"Them?" asked the vulpine. And then he got it.

"I'm carrying twins," said the snow leopard. Tiger just placed his right arm around his wife and gave her a one arm hug; pride was on his face. "I wanted to surprise all of you; that's why I haven't been showing myself." Everyone went over to congratulate the two soon to be parents.

"We don't know if it's two boys, two girls, or one of each," said the jungle cat. "Even though we could find out, the two of us want it to be a surprise. I honestly don't care what the combination is going to be."

"Do you have a plan to get them out?" asked Nicholas.

"Yes, they'll cut me open," said Samantha. "I don't want them both to make a break for it when they're due. Now let's get going."

"This is where me, Celestia, and Bryn must part ways with everyone," said Pecker. "My parents have invited us to sit with them."

"So Equila and Nova are representing this race," said Cody.

"Crap, I wasn't allowed to say that," said Pecker. "Well you would've found out anyway." With that, the large species of groups separated.

X

The racing team made it to their garage, just like last time. Their two mechanics briefed the racers on what they had done with their vehicles.

"These are the same like last time except they've got a new feature. Me and Rina installed a device on each of the racers for this one so that you can see behind you," said Fay. "That way you can tell if another team member is coming up from behind you. I was the one who made them."

"Wow, that should come in handy," said Nicholas. "That's impressive."

"I know," said the collie, and hugged herself. "My wonderful invention."

"Crazy mechanic head," said Bill, loud enough for her to hear. His comment ruined Fay's good mood.

"You'd be lost without me suffer boy," she said while giving the canine an annoyed look.

"Well, I'm going to race," said Nicholas. "Who's with me?"

Fara, Dash, and Yuki decided to join the vulpine on the track. They got into their racing outfits. Just like last time, the colors matched their natural colors. Their racer's colors matched their outfits. Even though Nicholas's helmet covered his entire head, his pony tail still came out from underneath it so it could be seen.

Suddenly, a voice was heard over the speakers, "Attention everyone; the race will soon begin. Please make your way to Dome Two."

"Follow me," said the vulpine. "I know the way."

X

The garage had a path that lead to the dome where the second race would take place. There were seven in total; each one lead to a different dome where a race would be held in. When the group entered, they were shocked at what they saw.

The stands were like they had been in the first dome, but it was the layout that was amazing. It had been designed to look like they were at Skyfall, with different parts of the track suspend in mid air. The whole design made it so that it was like the course was high in the sky.

"My god…" said Fara. She was beginning to have second thoughts now. Nicholas put a reassuring paw on her shoulder. She looked up to him and blushed.

"It will be alright," he said. "I'm sure they've only made it to look this way. And even if they hadn't, they probably took safety measures to make sure nothing happens."

Meanwhile, Pecker was watching on top of the platform were his parents would appear in a seat next to Celestia and Bryn. He was a bit surprised to see that Nicholas didn't seem the least bit nervous. The avian watch those who were racing and those who weren't split up. Dash and Yuki reached their racers. The female snow monkey stopped the male one before he got in.

"Be careful," she said.

"I will," said Dash. For a moment his light blue eyes and her green colored eyes remained locked in each other's gaze. Then Yuki went to her vehicle.

Meanwhile, Fara and Nicholas had reached her racer. It was light brown in color and matched the outfit she was wearing. The male fox turned his head towards her after she got in.

"Remember, just concentrate," said Nicholas. "Feel; don't think. Use your instincts Fara."

"I will," she said.

"Good luck," said the vulpine and he went to his racer next to the vixen's. It was orange in color and had green stripes on the side.

Suddenly a booming voice came on again and it echoed throughout the dome. "We're back with the second race of the season!" It was G.T. speaking in a mike, just like last time. "It was quite the session last time, and now things have gotten even more heated up! And once again Katie will help me cover the action."

"I can see new racers for each of the teams are out for this track," said the coyote. "New ones mean new competition. As we can see, this race course is designed to look like we're at Skyfall. Tell us G.T., what will happen to a racer if his or her vehicle goes off the course?"

"There are repelling shields all along the track," said the sparrow. "The driver and racer will be pushed back onto the course, so nothing bad will happen. You can't see it, but it's there. And I'm sure we'll see it activate more than once during this race."

"Last time, we saw Team Diverse win the last one," said Katie. "Do you think will see another win from them?"

"Hard to say," said G.T. "This is only the second race. And it looks like the representatives of this one have come out; it's Equila and Nova, the rulers of wind!"

The two said avians came out to the roar of the crowd. "Once again you race to prove yourself," said Equila. "Show us now what you can do!"

The racers got their vehicles started. Nicholas and the others racing noticed one button on their vehicles that wasn't there before. They pressed it, and a small screen came up. They were able to see behind them. The four guessed that this was the camera that Fay had been talking about.

A beeping sound came on. After it went off five times, the gong was rung and the noise was heard by everyone. The racers launched forward in their vehicles. Immediately, Fara's racer was rammed into the side by another competitor. The vixen growled and responded back by running her vehicle into the side of her opponent's one. She was going to let others show her up.

The first part of the course was to go through two tunnels made out of strong glass that lead to a city like structure. Racers were doing everything they could to get ahead, from riding on the side, to even using the top. Nicholas, Dash, Yuki, and Fara were able to stop some of the other racers from getting around them by using their little cameras.

Then came the city structure. It involved going through it and around it. The second part was tricky because there were tight curves that had to be made, and some of them didn't have guard rails. A couple of the other racers actually went over the edge. But every time they did, the repelling shields activated. The vehicle would be bounced off the section that would light up green and the racer was able to land back on course.

The next part was a stretch of track with holes in it. It was here that a lot of ramming action took place. Fara was able to hold her own in this section. The vixen actually sent a couple of the opponents of the course.

"And here they come!" shouted G.T. as the racers crossed the starting line. Nicholas and Fara were neck and neck with two other members from another team. Dash and Yuki were close behind them.

During the second circuit, the two foxes tried everything they could to get around of the two racers ahead of them. But they were good and were able to just keep ahead of the vixen and vulpine.

"Argh! Fuck!" Nicholas growled. He had tried to pass one of the racers in the tubes. "I almost had it!"

But then at the flat stretch, Fara managed to get ahead and put the team in second place. All her friends who saw this roared for her. Her team leader just looked on with a smile and drove faster to catch up with her.

Finally, on the last lap, the two managed to get into first place and held the position all the way to the finish line. The crowd roared their approval. Nicholas and Fara jumped out of their vehicles to see the rest of their team, lead by Luna running towards them. The she wolf wrapped both of her arms around the two foxes. The vulpine and vixen hugged her back. When Dash and Yuki crossed the finish line, they were also met with hugs by their teammates.

X

The racing teams went to the platform that would take them up to Equila and Nova when all the racers had crossed the finish line. After getting on, it rose up to the area were the two rulers, their children and Celestia sat at.

"I can't believe you actually made it in first!" Pecker exclaimed to Star Flight's leader when he made it to the area.

"Yeah; what a surprise," said Nicholas sarcastically.

"My father and I are very impressed with the performance that all of you have done!" said the avian.

**"**Excuse me, but who made you the next wind king?" asked the vulpine; a bit annoyed.

"He did!" said Pecker and pointed at Equila. "Well, almost. Kind of a semi-king, since he's named me his successor. You should see my new sleeping quarters and the bed… oooh... I've had some of the best sleep in my life. Hee hee... it's good to be the king, no?"

"I don't see your father's crown yet on your fat feather head!" exclaimed Nicholas.

**"**You want a crown?! I'll crown you!" said the avian and raised a fist at the fox. "Don't make me come down there from this seat!"

**"**I've got a seat for ya birdie, right here... twirl on it!" said Nicholas. He stuck his left middle finger up at the avian. Everyone, including his team mates let out gasps of shock expect Pecker's parents. The sound echoed throughout the dome. The avian snapped.

"That's it! It's GO time!" he shouted. Pecker jumped off the platform where he was originally sitting at and lunged at the vulpine.

**"**Bring it on, bird brain!" shouted Nicholas and assumed a defensive karate position.

**"**Enough!" Equila yelled and stood up at the same time he said this. The fox and his son froze. "If we wanted you to fight, we would have commanded it!"

He then addressed the racers before everyone in the dome was dismissed. Once again, the scores were posted along with when the next race would take place. It wouldn't happen until the last week of next month. After having a group meeting, Team Diverse left the garage to head back to their homes.


	22. Chapter 22

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 22: Next Gig

Author's Notes: Some of the lyrics had to be changed again. A furry is the Star Fox version of a house cat. It looks like a regular one except that it has six legs and its noise is in an oval shape instead of a T shaped one.

X

"I'll bet that when those two are born, they'll be cute," said Lucy. It was the morning after the second race, and the Star Flight team was eating breakfast. They were talking about everything that had happened so far. The subject right now was about Tiger and Samantha's future children.

"Aren't all babies cute in general?" asked Ben.

"Most of the time," said Cody. "But then there's that one that's an ugly baby. Remember that Stephen Nynch song?" The male otter was referring to another comedian that had been shown to the seven. The males and a few of the females cracked a grin.

"I've never liked that one that he did," said Nami.

"Not everyone likes him," said Nicholas. "But speaking of him who sings, I figured the time had come for us to do another gig." Everyone looked up at the vulpine.

"Do you think we can do that?" asked Amanda.

"Yes, because we've got plenty of time before the next race. We can find a place and get the word out to others about it. Besides, I think the young adults of Eladard will like it."

"Then I'm for it," said Fara.

"Me to," said Luna. One by one, the rest agreed.

X

Nicholas spent the time trying to find a place that would allow species 18 years and over to get in. He did it so that his brother, Sarah, Mitch, and Brooke could attend since they hadn't been able to for the last one. The vulpine brought up the problem to Tiger so that it would make the task of searching easier.

Meanwhile, the word was going out to others. It had been brought to the attention of the jungle cat, Samantha, Sig, Kivuli, Hui-Ying, Jazerc, Kralie, and Saria. Bill had also alerted Pecker, Bryn, and Celestia about the concert. Nicholas didn't think the three would show up, but he allowed the canine to do so.

The snow leopard wanted to attend mainly so the twins inside of her could listen to some music. They were at the point of development that they could hear stuff that was happening outside of the womb. The soon to be mother could hear their thoughts which proved this.

Finally the night came, and the place where the gig would take place was packed which would start at 8:00. It was at The Meteor Shower in Teirm. Nicholas, Ben, and Cody had been really surprised by this. It was the fanciest bar that allowed 18 year olds and above to attend and required months in advance for reservations. But the owners had heard how well Star Flight had played at Tiger's place. They wanted the team to play at theirs to bring in more customers. Despite that, it costed the same to attend just like the last one.

The place where Start Flight would perform was a lot bigger than the last one they had played at. The instruments and equipment had all been set up, and their owners were having a small meeting back stage. They were in their regular outfits.

"Let's show them what we can do," said Miyu.

"Definitely," said Katt. "Especially since we've got new songs to show them."

"It's time; let's go," said Nicholas. The performers and special effects crew separated, and went to their approbate spots. The vulpine stayed back stage because he wasn't performing for the first two songs. The curtain went up, and the audience roared. Luna spoke into the mike at the front of the stage.

"Welcome back to Star Flight's second gig!" The she wolf was answered with shouts and yells. Some of the audience members even whistled. Tiger, Samantha, Sig, Kivuli, Hui-Ying, Jazerc, Kralie, Saria, Lucas, Sarah, Mitch, Brooke, Pecker, Bryn, and Celestia, who were in the front row were the loudest of all. Nicholas saw the last three and was surprised to see them here. But the vulpine let it slide.

"Now we'll start with this," said Luna. She took the mike out of its stand and walked to the side of the stage were Fara was. The vixen then began to sing, and immediately the band began to play Wannabe.

Fara: **Ha ha ha ha ha **

**Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want**

Luna: **So tell me what you want, what you really, really want**

Fara: **I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want**

Luna: **So tell me what you want, what you really, really want**

Fara: **I wanna, (ha) I wanna, (ha) I wanna, (ha) I wanna, (ha)**

**I wanna really, really, really wanna zigazig ah**

Fay: **If you want my future, forget my past**

Miyu: **If you wanna get with me, better make it fast**

Fara: **Now don't go wasting my precious time**

Luna: **Get your act together we could be just fine**

Fara: **I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want**

Luna: **So tell me what you want, what you really, really want**

Fara:** I wanna, (ha) I wanna, (ha) I wanna, (ha) I wanna, (ha)**

**I wanna really, really, really wanna zigazig ah **

All four:** If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends**

**(Gotta get with my friends)**

**Make it last forever, friendship never ends**

**If you wanna be my lover, you have got to give**

**Taking is too easy, but that's the way it is**

This was like when the four had done for the talent show at their high school. They had the audience going. Except this time they were playing instruments and for a larger audience. Nicholas was watching back stage with a smile on his face.

Fay: **Oh, what do you think about that**

**Now you know how I feel**

Miyu: **Say, you can handle my love, are you for real **

**(Are you for real)**

Fara: **I won't be hasty, I'll give you a try**

Luna: **If you really bug me then I'll say goodbye**

Fara: **Yo I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want**

Luna: **So tell me what you want, what you really, really want**

Fara: **I wanna, (ha) I wanna, (ha) I wanna, (ha) I wanna, (ha)**

**I wanna really, really, really wanna zigazig ah**

All four: **If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends**

**(Gotta get with my friends)**

**Make it last forever, friendship never ends**

**If you wanna be my lover, you have got to give**

**(You've got to give)**

**Taking is too easy, but that's the way it is**

Fara: **So, here's a story from A to Z**

**You wanna get with me, you gotta listen carefully**

**We got Em in the place who likes it in your face**

**You got G like MC who likes it on a...**

**Easy V doesn't come for free, she's a real lady**

**And as for me, ha you'll see**

**Slam your body down and wind it all around**

**Slam your body down and wind it all around**

All four: **If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends**

**(Gotta get with my friends)**

**Make it last forever, friendship never ends**

**If you wanna be my lover, you have got to give**

**(You've got to give)**

**Taking is too easy, but that's the way it is**

The other three: **If you wanna be my lover**

Fara: **You gotta, you gotta, you gotta, you gotta, you gotta**

**Slam, slam, slam, slam **

The other three: **(make it last forever)**

All four: **Slam your body down and wind it all around**

**Slam your body down and wind it all around **

**Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha **

**Slam your body down and wind it all around**

Fara: **Slam your body down and zigazig ah**

All four: **If you wanna be my lover**

The band finished to the roar of the audience. A lot of them had been mouthing off the lyrics since they knew them. Tiger and Samantha sent their minds out to the two kits inside of the snow leopard. The found out that their kids had heard the song and it had made them happy.

Bill then went up to the mike after Luna had put it back in its stand. The she wolf then went off the stage where Nicholas was.

"Now it's my turn," said the canine. The band began to play breakout and Bill started to sing.

**You make me dizzy**

**Running circles in my head**

**One of these days I'll chase you down**

**Well look who's going crazy now**

**We're face to face my friend**

**Better get out**

**Better get out**

**You know you make me breakout**

**Make me breakout**

**I don't wanna look like that**

**I don't wanna look like that**

**Know you make me breakout**

**Make me breakout**

**I don't wanna look like that**

**I don't wanna look like that**

**Know you make me breakout**

The lights flashed in time with the beat just like they had for the last song. The audience loved this song.

**You can see this on my face**

**It's all for you**

**The more and more I take I break right through**

**Therapy still scares me**

**Putting me on my back again**

**I may be crazy, little frayed around the ends**

**One of these days I'll phase you out**

**Burn it in the blast off**

**Burn it in the blast off**

**Watch me crawl away**

**Try to get out**

**Try to get out**

**You know you make me breakout**

**Make me breakout**

**I don't wanna look like that**

**I don't wanna look like that**

**Know you make me breakout**

**Make me breakout**

**I don't wanna look like that**

**I don't wanna look like that**

**Yeah yeah I don't wanna look like that**

**Breakout!**

**Breakout!**

**Breakout!**

**Breakout!**

**Go, go, go**

The band was enjoying playing. You can see it on their faces.

**You know you make me breakout**

**Make me breakout**

**I don't wanna look like that**

**I don't wanna look like that**

**Know you make me breakout**

**Make me breakout**

**I don't wanna look like that**

**I don't wanna look like that**

**Yeah yeah I don't wanna look like that**

**I don't wanna look like that**

**You know you make me breakout**

**make me breakout**

**make me breakout**

The song ended and the audience cheered for the team. Nicholas then came on which brought out a lot of shouts. He took his place by the mike after Bill stepped back.

"Now I will sing the rest of the songs," said the vulpine. Miyu counted off by hitting her drumsticks together. After she did this four times, the band began to play Rock You Like a Hurricane. The audience knew this song well, and roared for the team. After the intro, Nicholas began to sing.

**It's early morning**

**The sun comes out**

**Last night was shaking**

**And pretty loud**

**My furry is purring**

**And scratches my skin**

**So what is wrong**

**With another sin**

**The bitch is hungry**

**She needs to tell**

**So give her inches**

**And feed her well**

**More days to come**

**New places to go**

**I've got to leave**

**It's time for a show**

**Here I am, rock you like a hurricane**

**Here I am, rock you like a hurricane**

**My body is burning**

**It starts to shout**

**Desire is coming**

**It breaks out loud**

**Lust is in cages**

**Till storm breaks loose**

**Just have to make it**

**With someone I choose**

**The night is calling**

**I have to go**

**The wolf is hungry**

**He runs to show**

**He's licking his lips**

**He's ready to win**

**On the hunt tonight**

**For love at first sting**

**Here I am, rock you like a hurricane**

**Are you ready baby?**

**Here I am, rock you like a hurricane**

**Here I am, rock you like a hurricane**

**Come on, come on baby**

**Here I am, rock you like a hurricane**

**Rock you like a hurricane!**

The audience was going nuts over how well Star Flight sounded with this song. They were clapping and shouting. Nicholas just had a huge smile on his muzzle.

**It's early morning**

**The sun comes out**

**Last night was shaking**

**And pretty loud**

**My furry is purring**

**And scratches my skin**

**So what is wrong**

**With another sin**

**The night is calling**

**I have to go**

**The wolf is hungry**

**He runs to show**

**He's licking his lips**

**He's ready to win**

**On the hunt tonight**

**For love at first sting**

**Here I am, rock you like a hurricane**

**Are you ready baby?**

**Here I am, rock you like a hurricane**

**Here I am, rock you like a hurricane**

**Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on**

**Here I am, rock you like a hurricane**

**Here I am**

The next song was TNT followed by a ten minute break. When it was done, the band came back out, and Nicholas went to the mike. "This next one is one of my favorites to sing." The lights went out and only shown on the guitar players. The team began to play Sweet Child O Mine. After a little bit, more lights came on some of the other players. Then it went to the drums and then shown around the entire team playing. Meanwhile the audience shouted when they heard the music. After the intro, Nicholas began to sing.

**She's got a smile that it seems to me**

**And reminds me of childhood memories**

**Where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky**

**Now and then when I see her face**

**She takes me away to that special place**

**And if I stare too long, I'd probably break down and cry**

**Whoa, oh, oh, sweet child o' mine**

**Whoa, oh, oh, oh, sweet love of mine**

The species in the crowd were clapping their hands, paws, and wings to the beat of the song.

**She's got eyes of the bluest skies**

**As if they thought of rain**

**I'd hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain**

**Her fur reminds me of a warm, safe place**

**Where as a child I'd hide**

**And pray for the thunder and the rain to quietly pass me by**

**Whoa, oh, oh, sweet child o' mine**

**Whoa, oh, oh, oh, sweet love of mine**

Nicholas had a grin on his face. It was the same for the other players. The couples in the audience had their arms around each other and were rocking back and forth.

**Oh Yeah!**

**Whoa, oh, oh, oh, sweet child o' mine**

**Oh, oh, oh, oh, sweet love of mine**

**Whoa, oh, oh, oh, sweet child o' mine**

**Oh, yeah**

**Oh, oh, oh, oh, sweet love of mine**

The bridge part was a long one. But nobody cared. The lights went onto the ones with instruments. They played with all their heart and soul to show what they could do. Then the lights went dim and slowly began to light up for the next part.

**Where do we go?**

**And where do we go now?**

**And where do we go?**

**Where do we go?**

**Where do we go now?**

**Oh, and where do we go now?**

**Where do we go?**

**(Sweet child)**

**Where do we go now?**

**Aie, aie, aie, aie, aie, aie, aie aie**

**Where do we go now? Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh**

The lights came back on their full brightness.

**And where do we go?**

**Oh, and where do we go now?**

**Oh, where do we go ?**

**Where do we go now?**

**Where do we go?**

**Oh, where do we now?**

**Now now now now now now now**

**Sweet child, sweet child o' mine**

The audience roared at the end of the song. Then came Lost in the Echo, It's Not My Time, and Born Free. Another ten minute break came. Then the band did If Everyone Cared, I Wish, Blurry, and How Much Longer.

One more break came and then the band did 19 (the Star Fox Version of 1985), and Girls Not Grey. Nicholas sang and played on his bass for that one. When it was done, he spoke into the mike after he put his instrument away.

"Now we've got just one more song for you." The lights became very dim. Then the audience heard the music begin. It was Welcome to the Jungle. The roared as it began to get brighter and brighter. The lights then went out, but a second latter came onto their full brightness. After the intro, Nicholas began to sing.

**Welcome to the jungle**

**We've got fun 'n' games**

**We got everything you want**

**Honey, we know the names**

**We are the people that can find**

**Whatever you may need**

**If you got the money, honey**

**We got your disease**

**In the jungle**

**Welcome to the jungle**

**Watch it bring you to your**

**knees, knees**

**I wanna watch you bleed**

**And welcome to the jungle**

**We take it day by day**

**If you want it you're gonna bleed**

**But it's the price you pay**

**And you're a very sexy girl**

**That's very hard to please**

**You can taste the bright lights**

**But you won't get them for free**

**In the jungle**

**Welcome to the jungle**

**Feel my, my, my serpentine**

**I, I wanna hear you scream**

They had the audience going, just like the last time the old Star Flight had played this song for Rocket High.

**Welcome to the jungle**

**It gets worse here everyday**

**Ya learn ta live like an animal**

**In the jungle where we play**

**If you got a hunger for what you see**

**You'll take it eventually**

**You can have anything you want**

**But you better not take it from me**

**In the jungle**

**Welcome to the jungle**

**Watch it bring you to your**

**knees, knees**

**I gonna watch you bleed**

The bridge came and the crowd was shouting at the band.

**And when you're high you never**

**Ever want to come down,**

**So down, so down, so down **

Nicholas then really ripped it with the scream. The entire time during this part, the band just had smiles on their faces. They all sounded so good.

**You know where you are**

**You're in the jungle baby**

**You're gonna die**

**In the jungle**

**Welcome to the jungle**

**Watch it bring you to your**

**knees, knees**

**In the jungle**

**Welcome to the jungle**

**And feel my, my, my serpentine**

**In the jungle**

**Welcome to the jungle**

**Watch it bring you to your**

**knees, knees**

**In the jungle**

**Welcome to the jungle**

**Watch it bring you to your**

**It' gonna bring you down-HA!**

The song came to an end to the roar of the audience.

"Thank you very much!" said Nicholas. "We'll make CDs for everyone who attended here tonight. If we do put on another gig, it won't be until the summer. We'll let you know about it when we've got a better idea."

The species in the building then left to head home. It had been a fun night.


	23. Chapter 23

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 23: Final Race

The races continued throughout the months. Grizzam and Eris represented the next one, so it was an ice course. Katt, Bill, Cody, and Ben competed on this track, and like the other two it was dived into three parts. The first one required going up an ice mountain. Then through an ice cave. Finally came a plain covered in snow.

Rizzo and Lanal represented the next race; so this course was underwater. Pecker, Celestia, Bryn, and Miyu raced on this track. The first part required going through glass tubes, then an underwater town, and finally came underwater canyons.

Worriz and Windra represented the fifth one, making it a fire track. The sides of the course had the same repelling shields like it had been for the wind one. The first part of the race was a magma field, then going up a volcano, and finally going through it. Bill, Katt, Dash, and Yuki did this one.

The sixth race was represented by Lennox and Liuwa, making it a desert course. Cody, Ben, Nicholas, and Fara raced on this track. The first part required going through a desert cave. Then came going through a ruined pyramid. Finally came a stretch of desert plain.

Team Diverse managed to win in first for the remaining races. It wasn't an easy thing to do because the other teams tried everything to make sure that they didn't. After the sixth race, there was a small break before the final race of the season that would be represented by the high king and queen.

X

The day came at last, and everyone was excited, but nervous at the same time. The team had decided that Nicholas, Fara, Pecker, and Celestia would race on this course. They had already gone down to the stadium and had been greeted by all their friends and family. Now Team Diverse was in the garage for a meeting.

"This is it guys," said Samantha. "It all comes down to this. Remember no matter what place we get in, we're going to walk with our heads high. But that doesn't mean you four can't try to win in first."

"We'll do it," said Celestia. "Just leave it to us."

Nicholas had just stayed silent the entire time. Fara noticed this. "Are you doing alright?" she asked.

"Yeah; there's just something I need to say," said the vulpine. He turned to Pecker. "Listen man… all those times you raced… you've done good." The avian just stared at the fox.

"You always managed to pull us into first," Nicholas continued. "Not matter what the situation. I guess what I'm saying is that you're a great racer, and it's been fun working with you."

Pecker didn't speak for the longest time. Everyone else just waited. The avian finally spoke. "The same goes for you as well." Nicholas looked up at the bird.

"You've also managed to pull us into first when the situation looks grim. I remember during the second race you were able to do just that. You're a good racer to."

Nicholas just let out a smile and so did Pecker. "So how about after all this is done we have a race?" asked the vulpine. "Just a friendly one."

The avian's grin got wider. "I would like to." The two went over and gave each other fists bumps.

"Who are you guys and what have you done with Nicholas and Pecker?" asked Bryn.

"Simple; we've changed on how we think of the other," said her brother. The others just had smiles on their faces.

Suddenly, a voice was heard over the speakers, "Attention everyone; the race will soon begin. Please make your way to Dome Seven."

"This is it; let's go," said Samantha. She led the team out of the garage.

X

The group made their way to the seventh dome where the event would take place. The course had been designed to look like the city of Teirm. The racers on the team went to their vehicles while the others went to their pit stop. Nicholas looked up and saw the platform where Kareem and Arielle would watch the race.

"Be careful out there," said Celestia to Pecker.

"I will," he said, and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. The two avians, Nicholas and Fara got on their racers.

Suddenly a booming voice came on that echoed throughout the dome. "Welcome race fans to the final race of the season!" It was G.T. "What a competition it has been. Out of the ten teams, only four have made it. Who will take it all by wining today?"

"It could be anyone's game," said Katie who was next to the sparrow. "But there are favorites among the audience. The first one to make it is Team Canine!" Four racers that belonged to that family stood up and waved to the roar of the crowd.

"Next is Team Wolf Pack!" said G.T. This group did the same as the last one, each one being a lupine.

"The third is Team Star!" exclaimed Katie. Four racers, a crocodile, a poodle, an ant eater, and a brown bear stood up to be seen. All of them were female.

"And finally is Team Diverse!" shouted G.T. Pecker, Celestia, Fara, and Nicholas saluted the crowd. "They are ones that most people think will win. But anything could happen. And now, here to represent the race are the rulers of Eladard!"

The high king and queen came out and the audience roared in approval. "People of Eladard," Kareem began. "We are here today once again to see who out of these four teams are the best racers on the planet." He then turned his attention to the ones on the track. "You have all done well to make it this far, but now the men and women will be separated from the boys and girls. Only one of you will win it all. Race on!"

The racers on the track started their vehicles, which came to life. A beeping sound came on. After it had gone off five times, Arielle rang the gong next to her. The groups launched forward to the roar of the crowd.

The first part of the course had the racers navigate through a downtown area with skyscrapers. This had many tight curvets that caused a couple of the racers to actually crash. But the ones racing for Team Diverse got through it.

The next part was a construction zone that had obstacles and falling debris. This ended up taking out even more of the racers.

"Ouch!" exclaimed G.T. "That last racer look like he ate that!"

The third part was a bridge that had sections of the track that would fall off. Those parts were attached to hinges. If a racer fell through a hole, there was a repelling force field that would get them back on course, just like during the second race.

The final part went through a sewer like system. It had parts that branched off to other sections. But they all met again at the end which lead back to the starting line.

Pecker, Celestia, and Nicholas seemed to be doing alright, but Fara was having an extremely hard time because her vehicle was getting bashed left and right. The vixen couldn't put on a boost of speed during the first part which was where the ramming took place. But with some movements at the second part, she managed to catch up with her other members out on the track.

Soon the two foxes, Pecker, and Celestia managed to pull their team in second place during the last lap. They were behind the four racers from Team Wolf Pack. Nicholas put on a burst of speed and managed to get besides their leader at the construction zone. The wolf growled and rammed his racer against the vulpine's, causing the fox to go off course.

"Nicholas from Team Diverse has been forced off the track!" said Katie. Fara just watched this with horror as she drove. Linden also saw this on the monitor that showed the race and cringed.

The vulpine's vehicle crashed into a wooden gate that had been placed at the bottom of a hill of broken concrete. His racer broke through it, but made him loose some speed. The lupine let out a laugh, but then stopped as he watch Nicholas go off the hill with a thrust of his engines. He got air and landed, putting his team in first.

"Amazing!" said G.T. "A quick move, and he's back on course!"

The two groups got out of that zone and moved on to the next one. Here Celestia and a member from Team Wolf Pack got out of the race by hitting one of the holes in the bridge. But this didn't slow down Nicholas, Fara, or Pecker, even though they saw it on their cameras to see behind them.

The avian then met his match at the sewer like system. This only left the two foxes to try to hold the position. Fara managed to get two of the racers from The Wolf Pack team out of the race, leaving only her, Nicholas, and the leader of the opposing group. All three soon had each other within their sights. The lupine did everything he could to make the vulpine in front of him crash. And the vixen did everything she could to make him crash.

"This is going to be close!" Katie exclaimed.

The three came out of the sewers. This was a bit of track before the finish line. Suddenly, Nicholas slowed down. The lupine, not expecting this, crashed into him. The vulpine put on a burst of speed, while Fara got the enemy vehicle by ramming into it. His went off course and the driver went flying out. The vulpine just smiled as he and his teammate crossed the finish line. It hadn't been due to cheating. It was teamwork between him and Fara that allowed them to win.

The crowd roared as the two came to a stop. The two foxes jumped out of their vehicles and hugged each other. Then they were met by the rest of their team members, and were given hugs by them before being hosted into the air on their shoulders.

"It's over!" shouted G.T. "Team Diverse has won the racing season!"

"Listen to the crowd!" yelled Katie. "They're going nuts!"

"We've won!" Nicholas shouted.

Kareem and Arielle just smiled as they looked down on this scene. It truly had been a great race.

X

The award ceremony took place. Those who came in fourth got bronze trophies. The ones in third got silver, the ones in second got gold, and Team Diverse got platinum ones. At the top of each one was a racer like the one they had competed in. There was enough for everyone on each team.

When it was done, Team Diverse went out of the dome to meet with their friends and family. They were waiting outside.

"You won!" shouted Lucas when they came out.

"We won!" Nicholas shouted.

"Oh, hug me brother!" they both yelled and met in just that to the amusement of the others.

"But I couldn't have done it without my friends," said Nicholas. He then turned to Pecker. "When you're ready, just let me know." The avian nodded.

"So what will you do now?" asked Fay.

"I'm going to enter in the tournament that will be coming up," said the vulpine. "I'm not done competing yet."

"You will be entering right?" he asked the part Cerinians in the group except for Tiger, Samantha, Reed, Hikari, and the parents. They all nodded. "Then no matter what happens, it'll be fun." The group then left each other and headed home.


	24. Chapter 24

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 24: Brother vs. Brother

Nicholas said to the seven that had raced that it was alright to tell their parents that they had won and to show them their trophies. The mothers and fathers were so proud of their daughters. The same applied to Nicholas, Ben, Cody, Pecker, Celestia, and Bryn's parents.

The vulpine and avian made good on their promise and had a friendly race two days after the final one of the season. Nicholas managed to win, but barely. When it was over, Pecker just shrugged it off and stated that he would beat the vulpine when the tournament took place.

Meanwhile, the whole planet was getting ready for it. Already many visitors from the Lunar System had come to Eladard to watch, a few were here to compete like Nicholas had said, but the rest weren't.

The vulpine was not worried about what was coming up. He had been practicing everyday for the past two years for this and was confident that he could win. But Nicholas knew that the part Cerinians that made it to the final round would be strong. But he was to.

X

Finally the day came for the tournament to begin which started on June 10th. Since there were so many species competing, it took four days to determine the 16 finalists. Then there would be a break for a day before the final round happened on June 16th. It all took place at the racing and stadiums area. Only those watching could see the final round; they weren't allowed to see who would make it.

Nicholas woke up early on that day and checked to see if all of the gems on his jewelry and weapon were at full power. He then went to his bedroom closet and opened the doors. He then found the other weapon that he was looking for. The vulpine knew that if he wanted the best shot to win this, he couldn't use a beam sword. Although Nicholas was good at wielding it, he knew there was another type that he was better at. Therefore, it would make sense to use it instead.

After he had gotten ready, the vulpine made his way to the area were the determining rounds would take place. Nicholas had parked the mother ship there already beforehand so he wouldn't have to take too long to get there.

The vulpine met up with Lucas, Mitch, Pecker, Kralie, Brooke, Saria, Bryn, Celestia, Jazerc, Sarah, and Hui-Ying outside of the stadium were this would take place and the group made their way inside.

They saw many other species of all kinds just waiting and talking amongst each other. Nicholas just took a quick look to see the rest of the competition. But then he had to pay attention as the vulpine had to draw a number out of a large box to determine which division he would be in.

The group after drawing found out that they were all split up and fighting on different days. Nicholas would have his turn the next day. So he left but wished those that were competing today good luck.

The next day arrived, and so did his turn. He fought against many opponents and managed to make it all the way, putting him in the finals. Everyone who knew him told him that he had done well and were proud of him.

All too soon, the determining rounds were over and the 15th came. Nicholas spent it relaxing with his team since he knew the 16th would be one of continuing fighting.

X

The day of the tournament was one were everyone on the Star Flight team got up early. They only knew that Nicholas was in the finals. They didn't know who else had made it. None of the other part Cerinians they knew had said anything.

After having breakfast, Nicholas went to his room to find one thing in particular. He hadn't worn it during the determining rounds, but now the vulpine thought it would be best to wear it. When he came out it with it, Fara was standing there waiting for him. She saw him and her eyebrows went up. It was the scarf she had giving to him during the first Christmas they had shared together. The vulpine almost always wore it except during certain times like when working out.

"Isn't that…?" she began, and Nicholas nodded.

"Yeah it's your Christmas gift to me," said the vulpine. "I figured I wear it for good luck."

"I don't think you need luck," said Fara. "You're strong; very strong."

"True; but so are the finalists."

"Then maybe it wouldn't hurt to wear it," said the vixen. The vulpine nodded and began to walk away. But Fara grabbed his right paw and stopped him.

"Fara?" he asked.

"Please be careful," she whispered and then looked up to him. "Don't do anything reckless."

Nicholas reached out and wrapped his arms around her. The vixen felt the blush coming onto her muzzle. This was the first time the vulpine she loved so much had hugged her first. Her arms went around him as she inhaled the natural sweet secant of him.

"I will," he said. "I always am when going into battle. A smart warrior does that." He pulled away from Fara, their arms still around each other. The vixen wondered if now she should tell him that she loved him.

"Let's get going," said Nicholas, interrupting her thoughts. Fara nodded and reluctantly let go of him. The two foxes made their way down to the living room where the rest of the team was waiting. The vixen was disappointed that she hadn't been able to confess her feelings, but the good thing was that Luna hadn't come onto the scene. That would have caused a lot of trouble.

The group then left their ship and made their way to the stadium. Everyone that they knew was there to welcome them. Nicholas and the others then went their separate ways. The others went into the stadium were the final round would take place. The vulpine made his way to the finalist room where they would be shown who was fighting against who.

When he entered he was greeted by Lucas, Mitch, Pecker, Kralie, Brooke, Saria, Bryn, Celestia, Jazerc, Sarah, and Hui-Ying. Nicholas was pleased that they all had made it. He then noticed that there was four other part Cerinians that the vulpine recognized during the determining rounds.

Suddenly a voice spoke out. "Attention participants; please listen up." Everyone turned their attention to see a male crocodile in a black suit and matching tie while wearing sunglasses.

"To determine who fights who, we'll be doing another lottery. When you're name is called, please step up and pull a number." He looked at a list. "Sarah Barren."

The green vixen took a piece of paper out of another box that was a table in the room. She read the number out loud. "Number 10."

The crocodile entered the information on a computer and then the picture of Sarah came up. "You'll be in fight number five. Nicholas McCoy."

The vulpine drew his piece of paper. "Number one."

"Hui-Ying Yao."

"Number 15," she said after drawing

"Brooke Howl."

The she wolf drew. "Number seven."

"Mitch Waters."

"Number three," he said.

"Ichigo Jagger."

A male otter with orange fur steeped up and drew his piece of paper. "Number four."

"You're against Mitch in the third match," said the crocodile. "Pecker Davidson."

"Number five."

"Jazerc Panda."

"Number nine," he said.

"You're in the fifth match against Sarah," said the crocodile. "Saria Petter."

She drew from the box. "Number eight."

"You're against Brooke," the crocodile said. "Kralie Lizard."

"Number six."

"Your opponent is Pecker," the crocodile said. "Kane Namu."

A Great Dane came up and drew from the box. "Number 16."

"You're against Hui-Ying," the crocodile said. "Lucas McCoy."

"Number two." Everyone then did a double take. They all stared at the two brothers who had shock on their faces. Nobody thought that both would be fighting in the first match. But then Nicholas got a smile on his face.

"Interesting," said the vulpine. "I get to fight against you sooner than I thought."

"Likewise," said Lucas.

Bryn and Celestia were then matched against the remaining two part Cerinians. The crocodile then turned to the finalists.

"Now then, the rules are simple," he said. "There is no time limit. But if you fall off the stage, are down for ten seconds, or say anything like "I give up," you will lose. There is to be no eye pokes, killing, or attacking of vital parts. Each fight will take place on a different field to add to the excitement. Let's now go to the waiting room by the area were you will wait to be called out to fight." He led all the finalists to that place. The males and females then went to different changing rooms to put on their combat outfits. They were the same ones that had been worn during the determining rounds. The group then came back out and waited in the room. They had a clear view of the field.

X

Meanwhile the audience in the stands was waiting. Fara and the others were all together, including the families in the front row to watch. The vixen couldn't help but notice all the mayors and judges of the planet, along with the elemental kings, queens, the council of 13, the high king, and high queen were also attending the tournament. They sat in their own designated area. There were also younger species with them that she guessed were their children.

Vincent sat with a thoughtful look on his face as though he was remembering something from the past. Fara noticed this since she was on his left.

"Is there something on your mind?" she asked.

"I'm just remembering the last time I competed in this which was five years ago," said the vulpine. "What makes it memorable was that I won it."

"I certainly remember it," said Linden and gave her husband's right arm a squeeze.

"Did you ever win it?' asked the younger vixen to the older one.

"A few times," she said. "Nicholas has been trying ever since he got old enough. Every time he's gotten to the finals but hasn't been successful. But this time there's something different about him. It's like he's flowing with strength and power."

"Well he's been gone for two years," said her husband. "He's been training that entire time; anyone can tell."

"Yes, but there's something else about him that I can't put my finger on," said Linden. "I have this feeling that he's gain something; almost like a new power."

Fara just listened to this and when the older vixen said that she couldn't help but wonder what the older vixen meant by it. But her thoughts were interrupted when a crocodile, the very same one that had been with the finalists came out.

"Thank you all for waiting patiently! The final round of the tournament will now begin!" He was met with a huge roar. "I will now start by introducing the fighters for match one! But first we need a change of scenery!" The area he was standing on began to change. It sifted and morphed until suddenly it became a desert with stone structures. The ones on the Star Flight team who were visitors to Eladard let out gasps of shock.

"Our first fighters will battle on the desert field," said the crocodile. "Each round will be on different battle grounds to make things interesting." He then went on to explain the rules of how a fighter could win the fight and that the battle had no time limit.

"Now allow me to introduce the first contestant. He has been gone for two years and is back to try to win once again. Please welcome Nicholas McCoy!"

The vulpine came out of the waiting room on the other side of the field with a burst of speed using his speed booster technique and stopped in the middle. Any part Cerinian could use this technique even if they didn't have their Cerinian weapon out. The audience roared for him but also got a look at him. He was wearing a white top with a green border with the sleeves cut off so his arms were exposed. He more white shorts with a green line on the leg part to expose his legs and line tattoos. His shoes were white but had three crescent moon designs that were colored green. He had a staff like object colored silver on his back, and was wearing his gloves, glasses, and the ring Luna had given him along with the scarf that had been Fara's gift.

"What is that on his back?" asked the vixen. "I thought he was a beam sword wielder."

"What make you say that?' asked Vincent. Fara explained that when Nicholas practiced with weapons against her and the others he used a beam sword.

"He certainly knows how to wield one," said his father. "Nicholas did so in case something was to happen to one of his paws or arms. However, that wasn't the first weapon he learned how to wield; it was actually a double bladed beam ax. That's what he's got on his back. Nicholas is even more deadly with it, which is why he hasn't used it against you. And as a result of learning how to wield it, he knows how to properly use staves, sickles, javelins, and other things like that."

"And now for our next contestant!" said the announcer crocodile into the mike. "He is a vulpine like Nicholas. And he knows the other one quite well. Give it up for Lucas McCoy!"

The said guy came out with a burst of speed as his brother and stopped in the middle. At first nobody said anything. They hadn't been expecting the two brothers to fight so soon. But then the audience members except for those in the stands that knew him began to cheer.

"What a mess," said Luna. "Nicholas and Lucas going against each other when they're brothers; this can't be good."

"He doesn't seem to think so," said Yuki as she took a look at the young vulpine. He was wearing a white top with the sleeves cut off which had an orange border. He wore white pants that had three orange lines on each leg. That article of clothing was short enough so that everyone could see Lucas's line tattoos. He wore white shoes that only had lines on them. On his right arm was a white gold colored band with a ruby and had markings on it. On his left arm was another white gold colored band that had five rubies and markings on it. Finally on his back was an orange staff like weapon.

The two went to opposites sides of the stage as the crocodile announcer stepped back. From the finalist's room, the others were watching the two. The brothers took their staff like weapons off of their backs and activated them. A single green ax blade came out of the top and bottom ends of Nicholas's weapon. A blue square that had spikes on it with two near the top of the weapon came out of Lucas's weapon, showing that he had a beam mace.

"The constants are ready," said the crocodile. "Let match number one begin!" The crowd roared as the brothers dashed forward and met in the middle of the desert stage. Their weapons clashed against one another, each making a hissing sound as they made contact. Nicholas and Lucas cracked a grin as they felt the Cerinian blood inside of them awaken. Cerinians were a warrior people and battles like these could get part Cerinians fired up when they were the ones fighting.

Nicholas spun the double bladed beam ax around to catch his brother with other blade. The older vulpine made it so it would only cut Lucas on the check at most. The younger vulpine ducked and the blade went harmlessly over his head. He lashed out with a kick, but Nicholas moved the handle of his weapon down to the left so that his brother's leg got the handle and the older vulpine was able to block the attack.

Nicholas then struck with his right leg, to trip Lucas. But his brother did a back flip and managed to dodge the attack. He landed and did a thrust with his weapon. Nicholas deflected the mace with his bottom ax blade and then brought his top blade in a downward ark. Lucas flipped his mace up and stopped his brother's attack.

"Why don't they activate their Cerinian weapons?" asked Nami who was watching in amazement.

"They want to save their energy," said Cody who sat on her right. "Just wait; it will get more interesting."

Nicholas then did a spin attack, and Lucas met the attack with his mace. The older vulpine then lashed out with a combination of thrusts and sweeps. The younger one either blocked or dodged the attacks.

"_He's gotten better,_" thought Nicholas. "_But it's nothing I can't handle. But if this is all he's got, then I won't need to go all out. And I certainly don't plan on using that ability unless it's absolutely necessary._"

Lucas then went on the offensive. He did a combination just like his older brother. Nicholas didn't stop to think as he blocked the attacks. His weapon, like a staff, was ideal for fighting multiple opponents and deflecting moves from many angles.

The older vulpine then met his brother's mace, and the two stood standstill, trying to break the other's stance. The handles of their weapons hadn't even gotten a scratch, despite the vigorous pounding they had received. This was because all beam weapons that had long handles like the two foxes did were designed to withstand the energy part of any enemy beam weapon.

Lucas suddenly used his speed booster technique to make his legs a blur. With his left leg, the young vulpine kicked his brother's weapon out of the way. He then spun around, and got Nicholas in the stomach with his right foot. It was so fast, that the older vulpine didn't have time to respond. But he felt the kick to the gut.

Nicholas staggered and took some steps back, wincing in pain. He knew that his brother had always had incredible lower body strength, especially in the legs. Lucas had played ice hockey when he was younger, which strengthened his legs. And then after getting his Cerinian weapon, which used his legs, Lucas had gotten stronger in that region of the body. Although the younger vulpine could fight with his fists, he preferred his legs. It was the opposite with his brother.

Nicholas tended to be more of a fist guy since he had always had greater upper body strength than Lucas. The older vulpine could fight with his legs, but was stronger with his fists. Especially after getting his Cerinian weapon, Nicholas's arms and chest got stronger.

Meanwhile, the audience and the announcer noticed the attack that Lucas had made. "Nicholas has taken a hit!" said the crocodile. "That looked like it hurt!"

"Is he okay?" asked Fay.

"It will take more than that to keep him down," said Bill who sat on the collie's left.

"You're still strong with your kicks," said Nicholas as he straightened out. "Maybe more so than usual."

"Well it's been almost three years since we last had a fight," said Lucas. "I haven't been idling around; I've been training for our next fight which is happing right now. And I'm just getting started."

His brother put on a grin. "Music to my ears," he said and charged at Lucas with his weapon at the ready. He swung the weapon down in an arch, and his brother dodged it. Nicholas then changed his attack. He did a series of thrusts with his weapon; both that and his arms were a blur. Lucas didn't think; he just concentrated as he blocked the attacks with his mace. The younger vulpine then did a jump back to get out of range.

His older sibling let out a yell and then began to spin his double bladed beam ax above his head. Without missing a beat, Nicholas used his speed booster technique and managed to get on Lucas's left side. The older vulpine brought down his weapon which now had more distractive power due to it being spun above his head. Lucas barely had time to bring up his weapon to defend himself.

The beam weapons met, and the mace got knocked aside. Nicholas then lashed out with his right fist, and made contact with his brother's stomach. Lucas let out a gasp of pain; his older sibling's attack was that strong. Nicholas then got him with a right kick in the head. His brother went up, and landed on his back.

Sarah just gasped and covered her mouth when she saw this. The audience let out gasps of amazement. The announcer began to do the count.

"One!" he said. "Two!" Lucas then rose up and got back on his feet. He was panting a bit. Nicholas just looked as his sibling did this.

"An incredible attack combination from Nicholas!" said the crocodile. "But Lucas has managed to get back up!"

Fara was just staring at the vulpine she loved. The vixen knew he was strong, but not this strong. She knew that if it came down to a fight, and if Nicholas went all out, he could easily tear her apart.

"You've gotten stronger, brother," said Lucas.

"Of course," he said. "I've been training as well during the time I've been gone. So then, how about you show everyone what you can really do?"

"My pleasure," said his sibling and charged at the older vulpine. His beam weapon came down and the older vulpine blocked it with his. But Nicholas was not satisfied with just using weapons; he wanted to see Lucas's ability when it came to hand to hand combat. But the only way was to get his mace out of his paws.

The two brothers kept pressing each other, but neither seemed to have an advantage over the other. At least not yet. Then a powerful strike from both foxes caused their weapons to go flying out of their paws. Immediately, the two launched with fists and kicks; all of which got blocked or dodged by their opponent.

Nicholas suddenly managed to make contact with his knee. It got Lucas once again in the stomach. The vulpine didn't stop there, but sent out a series of punches, each one finding their mark, before doing a combination of fists and kicks. The younger vulpine couldn't even counterattack. He just got pushed back by his brother's assault.

Sarah just covered her eyes and turned her head away from the sight. Everyone else stared in either shock or awe at this.

"My god… Nicholas is like a machine gun," said Dash. Fara just watched with her eyes wide open. How could the vulpine she loved be this strong in battle?

With a yell, he then got Lucas with one more kick which sent the younger vulpine flying a few feet away from the older vulpine. The younger vulpine landed in the sand.

Nobody said anything. Sarah slowly took her paws away and looked to see her vulpine boyfriend face up on the field. Nicholas slowly walked over. "It's over," he said.

Lucas suddenly flipped back up on his feet.

"No way!" said Nicholas. Everyone in the crowd was shocked but then began to cheer. Sarah just started in awe, with relief on her face.

"God you're strong!" said Lucas, wiping his mouth. "I'm totally surprised at how much so. You weren't kidding when you said you had been training."

"That's my line," said his brother. "You managed to get back up after that attack. Now I'm impressed."

"But now I'll show you my combo," said the younger vulpine, and used the speed booster technique.

"Don't make me laugh!" said the older fox. "I can see you're coming on my right!" His eyes then widened with shock as Lucas disappeared from his sight.

"_Fuck; he's coming from the left!_" thought Nicholas, but it was too late. His brother got him with his fist with all of his strength. The older fox spun around once before Lucas got him in the stomach with his fists.

Now Fara was the one who covered her eyes as Nicholas took this attack. The vulpine got kicked and punched as he was pushed back. Lucas then let out a yell, and gave a mighty kick which sent the older vulpine flying into one of the stone structures.

Nicholas rammed into it, and fell to the ground. Somehow he was able to recover, and landed on his left foot, right knee, and right paw, just panting, like his younger brother. Both foxes were dirty from the sand and dust, as well as banged up from the other's attacks. Their beam weapons were still activated, but in the sand, forgotten.

The older vulpine slowly got up, not saying anything. "How's that for showing off?" asked Lucas.

Nicholas began to chuckle, startling everyone. The older vulpine then laughed; not a crazy one, but one of joy.

"I don't believe it," he said. "I knew that you said that you'd trained. And I knew that you were strong. But I didn't think this strong! I'm so excited!"

"What?" asked Lucas.

"This fight is getting me pumped up," said his brother. "Never have you pushed me like this in all the ones we've had. But now it's time for me to go all out. I guess then it's time to use it." He took a breath. "Fists of Cerinia."

The weapons came out of his necklace and onto his paws, just like he had shown Fara and the other seven. Lucas let out a smirk.

"Then I will do the same," he said. He clapped his heels together. "Cerinian Boots."

From his right arm band came two objects that went on his feet, covering up the shoes he wore, and up to his ankles. They were boots that were colored silver, and had a ruby on each one at the top. A connector made of the same material as the boots was attached to the right boot that went upend around the leg before connecting with the left boot of the left side. At the ends of each boot was one spike, also silver in color. They both looked sharp; sharp enough to pierce and cause wounds. Finally his weapon and the connector had markings on it; like the ones that Nicholas had on his Cerinian weapon.

"Get ready," said Nicholas, and took a ready stance. "I'm not going to hold anything back." The claws on his weapon came out. Suddenly he was surrounded by a field of green and white energy.

"Bring it,' said Lucas and prepared himself. A field of orange and white energy suddenly surrounded him.

"What is that?" asked Yuki. "They're glowing."

"Nicholas explained it to me and the others once," said Dash who sat on her left. "It's called Cerinian Energy. It's what happens before two pure blood Cerinians or part ones fight with the weapon of their race. The personality of the specie is what determines the color."

The Cerinian Energy from both brothers began to stream from them like colored ribbons. Everyone, even the non Cerinians could feel it and see it. The fields of energy then disappeared, and the foxes on the field charged at each other with a yell.

Nicholas started by shooting a barrage of fire projectiles at his brother. Lucas spun around and his left boot made contact with his brother's attack. He deflected each one. The younger vulpine then leapt forward and did a round kick with his right leg. His brother crossed his arms and his force field ability came on. The green shield of energy stopped the attack.

Lucas then shot an ice projection at his brother from his left boot. The older vulpine just dodged, because his force field was just about to disappear. Nicholas knew that the attack would make him more vulnerable. He then did a couple of jumps back to put some distance between himself and his opponent.

The older vulpine figured that there was only one other move he could do. He figured that since he was on sand, the ground quake technique would be ineffective since the sand would absorb the shock wave like water. The vulpine raised his arms above his head. Nicholas's weapons began to glow and crackle with green and white colored energy. With a yell, the vulpine swung his arms down like a sword strike, which sent a wave of energy colored green and white at his brother.

The ones who had not seen this were amazed. Lucas however, just activated his force field which was orange in color. The wave of energy didn't hurt him at all.

"What hell was that?" asked Miyu.

"That is the final technique that the Cerinians have," explained Katt who sat on the lynx's left. "In order to use it, a pure blood Cerinian, part one, or non Cerinian must have a weapon of that race. The attack is where they gather their energy and fire it in a wave at their target. It's called the Cerinian Beam technique, and the color, like the force field, is determined by the user's personality. However, it uses up quite a bit of energy; the same one use for the other magical attacks. I've only seen it once before."

"That's quite risky," said Lucas, his force field disappearing.

"I've still got plenty of energy left in the gems I have," said Nicholas.

"Then let's see you counter this," said his brother, and shot his Cerinian Beam from his right boot. It was orange and white in color. The older vulpine dodge the attack, which ended up hitting one of the stone structures and destroying it.

Nicholas took that opportunity to charge at his brother. He began a barrage of thrusts with his arms; they were a blur. Lucas just dodged them. The younger vulpine then did a hand stand and began to spin around. Nicholas blocked his kicks with his arms crossed in an x shape.

They kept going back and forth with regular attacks and Cerinian techniques, sometimes making contact with each other. The audience just watched, not saying anything. The brothers then launched a Cerinian Beam at the same time. The waves of energy collided, and it coasted the two foxes the remaining energy needed to use magical attacks.

The two then stood, painting. They were both tired and couldn't go on for much longer.

"That's it; I'm out of energy," said Nicholas. "And from the looks of you, I'd say you're in the same situation."

"It's time to end this," said Lucas. "We'll finish it with one final blow." He took up a ready stance.

"_But how?_" wondered the older vulpine. "_If he gets me with a kick, I'll be finished. I have to make this last strike count. But with his short body, I could miss and…_" It then hit him how he would win. "_Short; that's it!_"

He then took a ready stance. The two foxes then yelled as they charged at each other. They then jumped into the air.

"What will happen?!" asked the announcer into his mike.

Both stuck their legs out. They met with the kicks striking in right were their collar bones were. Everyone could hear the sound of the collision being made. A bit of blood came out of the two brother's mouths. Nobody said anything as they watched in shock. The vulpines landed on the ground; not moving.

"My god…" said the announcer. "It's the rarest of the rare; a double knockout! Both foxes are out cold! I will begin the countdown! One…. Two… Three…"

"Come on Lucas!" shouted Sarah and Mitch from the waiting room.

"Get up Nicholas!" shouted his teammates form the stands. Everyone was either encouraging Lucas or his brother. They struggled to get up. Linden and Vincent just watched.

"Nine… Ten!" said the announcer. "Neither competitor is able to get up! The result is a tie! But there is no such thing in the tournament! In the case that it should happen, the first one who can stand up and say, "I am victorious!" with a smile will be the winner!" Now who will stand up first?!"

Lucas struggled and so did Nicholas, with everyone cheering for them. The younger vulpine finally got to his feet, the older one still on one knee. The audience held their breath.

"I… am…" began Lucas with a grin. "Vi-" Suddenly he fell down. Everyone was shocked.

"Oh!" said the announcer. "He fell down before he could finish!"

Nicholas then got on his feet. "I… I…" he said. Then he broke into a grin. "I am victorious!" The audience let out a roar.

"The winner has being decided!" shouted the crocodile. "Nicholas McCoy has won the first round of the tournament!"

Sarah and Mitch looked with disappointment. Everyone who knew Nicholas was cheering for him. Meanwhile, the older vulpine was painting. He then looked at his brother, still on the ground.

"_My legs are longer than yours,_" he thought. "_Not by a lot, but enough to make a difference. So in the end, my kick struck deeper than yours. But you've made me proud; that was the farthest you've ever pushed me._" Lucas then began to stir.

"Huh?" he asked. "I lost?"

"You almost had it," said his brother and went over to him. He held out his paw. His younger sibling grabbed it, and the older vulpine pulled him to his feet. "That was a great fight."

"We should do this again," said Lucas. His older brother nodded.

Meanwhile, Pecker and Hui-Ying were just watching him. The two knew that now, they couldn't underestimate him. Everyone was cheering and clapping for both foxes; Lucas more so than his brother. Fara and Luna were so happy that the vulpine they loved had won. The she wolf's reactions when Nicholas had gotten attacked had been the same as Fara's. But she wasn't about to tell the vixen this. Meanwhile the family members of Nicholas and Lucas were so proud of them.

X

The two were then taken to the healing pods after getting their beam weapons. These machines had the ability to heal any wound, fix clothes, and restore the fighter to his or her full strength, including the magical energy that was stored in the gems they had to use the magical Cerinian techniques all in a matter of ten seconds as long as the specie was still alive. They could not fix up scars however. There had been many during the determining round so nobody would be too tired or die from a loss of blood. After the process was done, the two brothers stepped out and made their way to the waiting room to watch the next matches.

Author's notes: A very long chapter, but I think I did a good job. Let me know what you think.

-Co-lord 44


	25. Chapter 25

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 25: Fox vs. Bird

The healing pods were in a room right next to the waiting one, so Nicholas and Lucas arrived while Mitch and Ichigo still waited for the field outside to be changed. When they did, they saw that Sarah was waiting for the younger vulpine.

As soon as she saw him, she went over, and wrapped her green arms around him. Lucas hugged her back.

"You did well; I'm so proud of you," said the vixen.

"Yeah; I still can't believe I lost."

"There's always next year. I'll know you'll do better next time."

"Thanks babe," said Lucas, and kissed her.

The matches continued with surprises at every turn. Mitch lost to Ichigo, Pecker moved up, and so did Hui-Ying. Then Nicholas fought against Mitch's opponent and won, putting him in the semi-finals. Sarah, Pecker, and Hui-Ying also made it to that round as well.

The older vulpine was impressed that Sarah had made it this far. He didn't plan on losing to Pecker. He wondered who he would fight against in the final round; Sarah or Hui-Ying. Only time would tell.

Suddenly the announcer's voice was heard. "It's time for the first semi-final of the tournament! Let the stage change!" The arena morphed until it became a jungle.

"The next round will take place on the jungle field!" said the crocodile. "Will Nicholas McCoy and Pecker Davidson come on out!"

"So it's my turn again?" asked the vulpine.

"Good luck!" said Mitch as the fox and the avian left the waiting room. They both walked out and faced each other. Pecker had a staff like weapon colored silver on his back. His upper torso had a white shirt with the sleeves cut off. On it were four red dots surrounding a light blue colored gem. The shirt left the lower part of Pecker's torso exposed to reveal a blue body, the same color as his mother's arms, and a chiseled six pack. He wore long white pants that had red dots running down them. His shoes were also white and had three red dots on them. Finally on both of his biceps was a red colored arm band that had markings on them. Each had one sapphire on it.

"We've seen both of these contestants have incredible fights!" said the announcer. "Just who will go on to the final round?! Now begin!"

Nicholas and Pecker activated their beam weapons. Out of the avian's staff like weapon came a red colored spear head. The vulpine knew this would be a difficult match with the weapons they currently had since the fighting style would be very similar. They took a ready stance.

A nut from one of the field's tree fell and hit the ground right between the two fighters. The two then charged at each other and their beam weapons met. With a growl, Nicholas swung the bottom part of his weapon up. Pecker simply dodged the attack.

The eagle then launched out with a combination of thrusts and strikes. Nicholas evaded the attacks and took a couple of jumps back. The vulpine then picked up another fallen nut from the ground. It was the size of cherry. Using his sped booster technique, he threw the nut at his opponent like a missile from a slingshot. Pecker was barely able to dodge it. Nicholas used this distraction to get the avian with a kick to the stomach. The eagle staggered a few steps back.

"So how's that?" asked Nicholas. "You shouldn't underestimate me seeing as how I've made it this far."

"That was a cheap shot," said Pecker. "I didn't think you would sink that low." The vulpine snapped as a pissed off mark seemed to appear on his forehead.

"It wasn't a cheap shot; it's called using the terrain to your advantage! A smart warrior does that! Instead of complaining you should be complementing me on my genius!"

"Not until you beat me," said the avian. He then straightened up. "But it doesn't matter. I wanted to see how much stronger you've gotten. I'd say you have by a lot."

"So have you," said the vulpine and took a ready stance. "Now show me more of what you can do."

"Very well." Pecker replied. The avian twirled his spear beam and charged at the vulpine. Their weapons met in a clash. Nicholas brought the lower part of weapon around, and shot the end down at Pecker's right foot. The bird used his speed booster technique, and got behind the vulpine.

The beam spear came down in an arch, but the fox was prepared. He brought his weapon behind him, and stopped his opponent's move. Nicholas then did a spin attack and began an assault against Pecker. The bird just blocked all of his opponent's blows.

Everyone else was just watching in amazement at the two warriors. Somehow whenever Nicholas went against someone, his fights were some of the most impressive and intense.

Meanwhile, Pecker was trying as hard as he could to land even a blow on the vulpine. He then got an idea. With his weapon, he cut off a vine that went to the ground. Placing it in his left hand, the bird used it like a whip. The plant was sturdy and strong enough to do so. Nicholas, totally surprised by this maneuver, was caught off guard.

The vine came whizzing at the fox, and managed to wrap around his beam weapon. Pecker yanked, and the double bladed beam wax came flying out of the vulpine's paws. It went spinning to the side.

Pecker struck again with his crude whip, but Nicholas jumped back and caught a hanging vine from a tree. He began to climb up it. The avian used his speed booster technique to get under the fox's vine. He lashed upward at his opponent with the whip. Nicholas jumped off the vine and landed behind Pecker.

The avian whipped around and lashed out with his crude whip. The vulpine dodged the weapon, and grabbed it with his left paw. With a mighty jerk, he brought Pecker to the ground, the vine coming out of his hand. Nicholas wasted no time in striking.

The avian rolled to the side to avoid the whip, and sprang back up. The vulpine lashed out with the crude weapon, but the bird stepped to the side. He then used his speed booster technique to get right in front of the vulpine, and struck him in the stomach with the butt of his beam spear weapon.

Nicholas gasped in pain, and staggered back. Fara and Luna just covered their eyes. The avian struck with a kick which sent the vulpine on his back. The fox landed with a thud. Pecker brought down his weapon to try to make Nicholas go unconscious. He rolled out of the way, and got back up on his feet.

Pecker brought his spear beam weapon down. Nicholas used the vine to block it by stretching it out in front of his body. The spear sliced through the plant. The vulpine was surprised for just a second, but then jumped back. He tossed the pieces of broken vine to the side. He put up his fists in a ready stance.

"You want to try to fight me with your bare fists?!" asked Pecker. "Bring it!" He then charged at the vulpine; both fighters had a grin on their faces.

Pecker did a lunge with his spear, but Nicholas dodged the attack. With his left fist, he grabbed the handle of the weapon. With his right, he got the avian with an uppercut. He used his speed booster technique so that the bird didn't have time to respond, and so that the punch would have power behind it.

Some blood came out of Pecker's mouth as he went up into the air. The attack from Nicholas was so strong, the bird actually let go of his weapon. The vulpine tossed the spear to the side, and when the avian got close to the ground, he lashed out with a kick to the stomach.

Pecker went flying into a tree and hit the trunk. Celestia let out a gasp and covered her eyes. The bird landed on the ground; not moving.

"And it looks like Pecker is down!" said the announcer. "One… Two… Three…"

"_What a shame,_" thought Nicholas. "_I didn't get to fight against his Cerinian weapon._"

Suddenly Pecker got up. The audience cheered for the avian. He spat out some blood from his mouth and it landed on the ground.

"So you've still got some fight left in you," said Nicholas. His opponent let out a grin.

"That was a good attack," said the avian. "You've really gotten a lot stronger. It's pointless for me to try to out match you in hand to hand combat. But now let's see you try this!" Pecker then raised his right arm up, like he was holding a sword.

"Scrape the surface of the mountain, Águila!" Pecker glowed with a red and white colored field of energy as he brought out his Cerinian weapon which meant eagle in Spanish. Nicholas took a ready stance, while everyone else felt the energy coming from the avian. The fox then had to move as his opponent struck out with a much faster and stronger attack.

"What did Pecker do?" asked Yuki.

"I can't see his Cerinian weapon," said Dash.

Meanwhile, Nicholas was running through the jungle. His opponent was chasing after him from the tree branches. Pecker had gone up there by climbing the vines that hung all the way to the ground.

The vulpine then used his speed booster technique to avoid some Fire Projectiles that were shot at him. He then came out into a clear surrounding with trees surrounding him. The fox turned and got hit with a Fire Projectile. Everyone could hear Pecker laughing. Nicholas got up on his feet since his opponent's attack had knocked him to the ground.

"Finished already?" asked Pecker as he came out of the trees, and everyone could see him. "That's just pathetic, Nicholas!" Then the ones watching saw his Cerinian weapon. It had two sapphires on it, and the handle was like his beam weapon, except that it had markings on it and was golden in color. The end of it had two long blades that curved inward, with eight smaller points below the blades. Three of them stuck out to the side on each side, and the other two came down in a curve toward the handle. The metal gleamed with a silver color, and it looked very sharp; like it could cut you.

"But then again, it's probably no surprise since I have Águila out," said Pecker. "I'll crush you with my weapon!"

"Don't count on it," said Nicholas. "Fists of Cerinia." His weapons came out, and he then got surrounded by his field of energy. "Let's go."

He shot a series of Fire Projectiles at the avian in the trees. The bird just used his weapon to block the attack, by swinging it like a baseball bat. Pecker then jumped down and caught a hanging vine. He started to climb down while deflecting the Fire Projectiles that were still shot at him.

When Pecker was close enough to the ground, he jumped and used his speed booster technique to cover some more ground so that he was above the vulpine. His Cerinian weapon began to glow with energy. Nicholas saw this and moved as quickly as he could. The bird made contact with the ground. The fox was not there, but the avian sent out a shock wave as he used the Ground Quake ability.

Nicholas jumped so that he wouldn't get hit by the attack. After landing, he gave Pecker a smirk. "You're just wasting energy for those attacks."

"Then try some of this," said the avian, and rushed forward with his weapon ready. It came down and the vulpine met the attack with his let paw. A shower of sparks came off the weapons. Pecker then began a series of swipes and thrusts, but the vulpine just blocked each approach. He then did a back flip away from his opponent.

"Did you think that you could catch me off guard with that?" asked the vulpine. "I wield a beam weapon similar to your Cerinian Weapon."

'Then try some of this," said Pecker. His weapon began to crackle with red and white colored energy. Everyone, even the non Cerinians could feel the energy he was channeling.

"_No way,_" thought Nicholas. "_I won't be able to dodge that. I can only block it. But that's way too much energy. If I take that, I'll be knocked out of the arena since were close to the edge. I have no other choice but to use that._" The vulpine reached deep down to the very core of his being to gain access to the power that would help him survive this.

"That idiot," said Bryn who was watching this form the waiting room. "My brother is pouring all of his magical energy into this attack. If this doesn't work, he will have just wasted it."

"Maybe," said Celestia. "But that's a risk he'll have to take."

Meanwhile, Fara and Luna were seeing this with horror on their faces. If Nicholas took this it could be bad.

The vulpine released the inner power he had and used the force field ability just as Pecker used the Cerinian Beam technique. The blast met the fox head on creating a huge explosion and dust.

"NICHOLAS!" screamed Fara and Luna; tears were in their eyes. The avian was just standing there, painting as everyone else looked on with shock.

"_That should have knocked him out of the arena,_" he thought. "_There's no way that Nicholas could have stopped that._"

"Amazing!" said the announcer. "Pecker has just launched a huge attack at Nicholas! Will this decided the match?!"

Everyone waited as the dust began to clear. They then noticed something in it that was glowing. Then everyone felt shock and disbelief as they saw the force field of Nicholas surrounding the vulpine; completely unharmed.

"No fucking way!" said Pecker. He then noticed the vulpine move his arms so that the avian could see his left eye. It opened, and the bird saw that it had changed. Suddenly the vulpine used the speed booster technique. The avian completely lost sight of the fox.

The next thing Pecker felt was the hit that sent him flying up and out of the arena. He landed to his shock and everyone else. They hadn't seen this coming.

The crocodile announcer quickly recovered. "Pecker has been sent out of bounds! The winner is Nicholas!" The audience then roared. Fara and Luna just breathed a sigh of relief. The avian slowly rose up and got back on the arena. Nicholas was walking towards him. The bird looked closely out the foxes eyes. They were back to normal.

"_What the hell was that?_" Pecker wondered. "_It was just for an instance, but Nicholas's left eye was not its usual color. It was black and red._" But he put that thought into the back of his mind as he and the vulpine met.

"That was a good fight," said Nicholas. "You've gotten stronger."

'So have you," said the avian. "You got me. I hope you do well in the final match."

Bryn and Celestia just watched this from the waiting room. Although Pecker had lost, they were still proud that the bird had being able to hold his own against his opponent.

X

After gathering their beam weapons and healing up, Nicholas and Pecker went back to the waiting room to watched Sarah and Hui-Ying's match. The female panda won it, so the vulpine knew that he would fight her. He didn't plan on loosing.


	26. Chapter 26

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 26: Final Round; Part One

After the fight Sarah and Hui-Ying had, the two females gathered up their beam weapons and went to the healing pods. This time, the field would change after the crocodile announcer stated what it would be.

After getting fixed up which only took ten seconds, the two females made their way to the waiting room. Sarah got a nice surprise when she saw that Lucas was waiting for her. The two young foxes went to each other and embraced.

"That was incredible," said the vulpine. "I didn't think you'd be this strong."

"I did it for you," whispered the green vixen. The two then kissed and after a bit they came apart.

Meanwhile, Hui-Ying and Jazerc were in a similar situation as Lucas and Sarah. "You're almost there," said the male panda. "The last stretch is ahead."

"Don't worry babe," said his girlfriend. "I'll win this for you."

"You've all done a good job," said Mitch, with Brooke next to him.

"But now Hui-Ying has to face against my brother," said Lucas. "If she hadn't won the last match, then Sarah would be going against Nicholas. And if I could trade places, I would and win the tournament."

"The same goes for me," said Jazerc.

"Big words," said Nicholas in a corner. "Coming from the two who got their asses kicked in the first rounds and that they're weaker than their girlfriends."

The younger vulpine and male panda snapped, and whipped around to glare at the older vulpine. They both seemed to have a pissed off mark on their foreheads. "Nicholas, shut the fuck up!" they yelled. Before the older vulpine could respond, they heard the announcer speak.

"All right everyone; this is it! It's the finals!" He was met by a huge roar from the crowd. "Who will win it all?! Will it be Hui-Ying Yao or Nicholas McCoy?! This will be a fight to remember! And now for the stage that they'll fight! It will be on the valley of the end field!"

The stage began to shift and morph. In a short amount of time it changed to look like a valley. There was a river with trees on either side. The body of water went over a cliff in a waterfall that went into a lower level that only had water, rocks, and a rocky bank. All of the water was only five inches deep. The waiting room was near the part that had the trees.

"And now would Nicholas and Hui-Ying come on out!" said the crocodile. The two did so, with grins on their faces, near one of the banks. The female panda was wearing a long, white colored dress that was made for battle. It was sleeveless so that the line tattoos on her arms could be seen. Two pink colored flower designs were on the top, and two more were at the bottom part. The bottom part of the outfit split into two smaller sections so that the spiral tattoos on the panda's legs could be seen. The dress was fused into one piece between the panda's legs to avoid showing something that wasn't supposed to be shown. Attached to the belt in the back were two brown colored pouches, and on the right side at the front was a square shaped like pouch also colored brown. On the right side of her head was a hair pin that was silver in color, had markings on it, and had four rubies. It ended at points, two on either side. On the left side was another hair pin that was the same as the first except that it had one ruby, and ended at three points.

The two finalists took their positions. "These two have shown to be incredible fighters but only one will be determined the strongest of this year!" said the announcer. "Let the final match begin!"

Nicholas however, just stood where he was even though his opponent had taken a ready stance.

"Well?" asked Hui-Ying. "Aren't you going to attack me?"

"Like I'd ever go before a women," said Nicholas and crossed his arms.

"Heh; flattering," said the panda. "But maybe you're world's a bit too small. What If I'm stronger than you or another specie?"

"Doesn't matter if you're stronger than me, or another specie," said the vulpine. "I ain't going to attack first. But now it's time to finally find out who should be considered the master of hand to hand combat. We've never been able to prove it. But this match will determine who the better fighter is."

"I agree," said Hui-Ying. She then noticed that the fox had his double bladed beam ax on his back. "You won't need that weapon on your back. I'll just knock it out of your paws."

"We'll see," said Nicholas.

Suddenly, the panda reached into the back left pouch on her belt. With her index and middle finger, she grabbed something inside. Pulling the fingers out, everyone could see that Hui-Ying had grabbed knife handle like objects that were colored silver, and had a hole at the end of each one. The panda tossed one of the handles to her other paw and squeezed the handles. A small green blade of energy came out. A lot of the species, including Nicholas knew that these were beam kunai. Hui-Ying threw the weapons at the vulpine with great speed.

The fox immediately uncrossed his arms and ducked. The kunai knives went wising over his head and right into a tree. Nicholas jumped back towards the area where the beam weapons were, and removed them. He placed one in each paw.

"You've gotten faster at throwing them," said the vulpine, while tossing the knife in his right paw up and catching the handle of the blade. "And you're accuracy is still is superb. If I hadn't dodged that, your weapons would have gotten me in the head."

Hui-Ying just stood there, ready for her opponent to make a move.

"But now that you've attack me, I can strike now," said Nicholas. The fox instantly used the speed booster technique to get behind the female panda. He threw the beam kunai at her. Hui-Ying was prepared, and moved out of harm's way.

Nobody said anything as the panda straightened herself out. The vulpine took the double bladed beam ax off of his back and activated it. He took a ready stance.

"I told you that weapon will just get knocked out of your paws!" said Hui-Ying. She took out a ring like weapon from the pouch on her right side. He finger flexed, and a small beam of green energy popped out on all four sides of the ring. It was a beam shuriken.

The panda threw the weapon at the vulpine who just swung his ax down and deflected the missile. Hui-Ying used this to her advantage. She grabbed some beam kunai knives from both of her back pouches, and threw them at Nicholas. The fox spun his double bladed beam ax in a circle in front of him. The weapon acted like a shield, and the knives were deflected.

"That's all you've got?" asked the vulpine.

Hui-Ying made no response but instead used her speed booster technique to get behind the fox. He saw the move and spun around to meet her. He then did a series of thrusts with his beam weapon. The panda just dodged all of them. She suddenly managed to grab the handle of Nicholas's weapon and stopped him. With a yell, she got him in the stomach with her fist. Hui-Ying put all of her strength into it.

The punch was so strong that the vulpine actually lost his grip on his weapon, and went flying back before coming to a stop. He grabbed his stomach while his opponent tossed the double bladed beam ax to the side.

"What has just happened has proved my point," said Hui-Ying. Nicholas straightened up.

"So you've gotten better," said the vulpine. "That's the first time you managed to disarm me like that. I guess it would be pointless to try to use it. In that case, I'll just use this. Fists of Cerinia." His weapon from his cross came out and covered his paws. The field of green and white energy came out. But this time, it seemed stronger. Everyone could notice it.

"What's wrong?" asked Nicholas since Hui-Ying hadn't done anything. "Aren't you going to call out your weapon?"

"Shut up," she said. "I don't need you to tell me what to do. Panda Gauntlets." From her hair pin on the left side came two objects. They went almost up to her elbows, and were open at the bottom to allow Hui-Ying to grasp objects. They were silver in color, and each had a single ruby on them. They had markings on them and a silver colored tube connected them that went behind the panda's back.

Those who had not seen this weapon instantly saw why Nicholas and his opponent had struck up a rivalry; they could see that Hui-Ying's weapons were also a hand to hand combat type.

"You aren't going to make those six spikes come out?" asked the vulpine.

"Not yet; unless you make me get serious," said the panda. "Besides, you haven't gotten the claw part of your weapons out yet."

"It's only so I don't end up killing by mistake," Nicholas responded.

"Well then, I'm ready," said Hui-Ying and took a ready stance. She was then surrounded by a field of pink and white colored energy. Once again, everyone noticed that it seemed stronger as well.

"Let's do this!" shouted her opponent, and charged at the panda at incredible speed, despite the fact he wasn't using the speed booster technique.

"_He's fast!_" thought Hui-Ying. She didn't have time to respond as Nicholas got close and jumped onto his paws. His left foot made contact with the panda's face. With a yell, the vulpine sent the bear flying.

"What's wrong?!" he asked. "I'm just getting started!" Hui-Ying managed to land on her feet.

"Bastard!" she shouted, and got up with her fists ready. The vulpine came charging in. The panda launched with a punch but Nicholas blocked it. He went low, and got Hui-Ying with his elbow. The panda staggered forward a little bit.

"Ha!" said Nicholas and stuck his left middle finger at her. "So how do you like that?! I think this is pretty easy just kicking your-"

He never got to finish the sentence because at that second Hui-Ying struck his face with a kick which made contact. Everyone could hear the impact that it made. "I can't believe you let me have that one!" she said.

Nicholas's nose was bleeding, but his glasses were still normal. He had been telling the truth when he said that they couldn't be broken. "Bitch!" he snarled at his opponent. The blood was beginning to run down his chin.

"So do you honestly think you can beat me?" asked Hui-Ying. "It doesn't seem like you can."

"Who asked for your opinion?!" Nicholas yelled and did an uppercut with his left paw. The panda dodged the attack and got her right paw to make contact with the vulpine in the face again.

"You're too predictable right now," said the panda. "I can tell when you're going to strike. So how is it? You're second nose bleed of the day?"

Blood was coming out of both sides of Nicholas's nose. He didn't answer but had a grin on his face. "Too predictable huh?" he asked. "Is that what you said? Then I'll just have to show you the training I've done while I was gone! Let the second round begin!"

"Bring it!" shouted Hui-Ying. The two warriors met with a series of kicks and punches. Everyone else just watched in amazement. These two were going all out. They then managed to come to a standstill with Nicholas using his right paw to block his opponent's left while both his left and Hui-Ying's right were against each other. They both had their teeth barred.

"Try some of this!" said Nicholas. He used his speed booster technique and struck the panda in her throat with his right upper arm. Some blood actually came out of her clenched teeth, and she went back a foot. "The whole body can be used like a weapon!" the vulpine explained. "So how was that?"

He then got annoyed as his opponent just cracked her neck and shock her head to shake off the pain. "Did you think a stupid move like that would work?" she asked.

"Tch! You just don't know when to go down," said Nicholas. "_I guess I have to use that,_" he thought.

"Let's go!" yelled both the fox and the panda. They charged at each other. Nicholas then jumped and landed on Hui-Ying's right leg. He then kicked off of that part of the body and landed on her left shoulder. This stopped his opponent as the panda was taken by surprise. The vulpine kicked off of Hui-Ying's shoulder and flipped himself upside down.

Nicholas reached out with his paws and grabbed the panda by the neck, hitting some pressure points. She staggered down as the pain hit her. Nicholas landed on his feet, using his momentum, his opponent's weight, and her momentum to send Hui-Ying flying into some trees. She hit them with a crash.

"Amazing!" said the announcer. "After some blows, Nicholas has sent Hui-Ying flying!" Jazerc just had turned his head away from the sight. The vulpine walked towards his opponent who was on the ground.

"The choke, the set-up, and the throw; that's a three-step combined technique called The Neck Breaker!" he said. He looked over at the announcer. "So where's the countdown? I don't hear it."

"Take a look," said the crocodile. The vulpine whipped his head around to see Hui-Ying getting up.

"Fuck!" said Nicholas. "How thick is that head of hers?!"

"She's back up!" said Jazerc.

"Wait…" said Lucas as he looked the female panda over. She was having trouble breathing. Some could even hear it. "Something seems to be wrong with her."

"That's right!' said her opponent."No matter what specie, how fast, strong, smart, or tall you are, the neck is still a weak point! One more hit, and it's lights out! Just give up on this match now!"

Fara and Luna were just watching Nichols with shock. How could he be this brutal in a fight? None of the practices they had with him were like this. "How can Nicholas be this way?" the vixen whispered.

"He has to be," said Vincent. The older vulpine had heard her. Fara looked up with blush on her face to him. "He can't be gentle in a fight were his opponent is strong. But Nicholas has a sense of honor and fairness. He knows when to stop. My son won't do anything that will make him kill Hui-Ying. His personality when not fighting makes up for his behavior that he's showing right now. And that is one of a warrior. He's still the same guy you know no matter what happens."

Luna also heard Vincent say this and the she wolf and Fara began to take comfort in these words. It was like when the vixen had made her decision; that it didn't matter if Nicholas had some strange power or something that made him not normal. It didn't matter how he acted in battle; he was still the same vulpine that she had fallen in love with. Luna was thinking the same thing.

"So what will you do now?" asked Nicholas. Hui-Ying still hadn't said anything. "I've trained as hard and as much as I could both physically and mentally while I was gone. Some of it was done with my team mates. But most of it only I could do. It's all been for that goal that I have. That one thing is what drives me to get stronger. And until it happens I cannot and will not lose to anyone."

Most of the species didn't know what the vulpine was talking about, but some did. "Is that so?" asked Hui-Ying. "Is it proving who the better of us two is?"

"No, it's something different," said the vulpine. He had a dark look on his face. He was thinking of the past. Of the time when his heart had been broken very badly and had been betrayed.

"Well I don't plan on loosing myself," said the panda, and took a ready stance. Her force field of energy came back on, and it seemed to heal her up a bit. It disappeared after a couple of seconds.

"But you will," said Nicholas. "After all, the suffering I've gone through is something nobody else has or will understand. Not even you."

Hui-Ying's eyes went a bit wide with shock. She then bared her teeth and used her speed booster technique. She got behind her opponent who turned his head to face her.

"What do you mean nobody would understand?!" she yelled. "You think you're the only one it's happened to?! What about your friends, family, and teammates?!"

The vulpine did nothing as the panda got him and slammed him against a tree. With her left paw, Hui-Ying slugged the fox in the face. Everyone could hear the impact. The panda was breathing a bit hard. Meanwhile, Nicholas had a trickle of blood coming from the right corner of his mouth. He turned his head back to face his opponent since it had gotten knocked sideways. He spat out some blood which hit Hui-Ying on the check.

She grabbed the vulpine by his shirt with both paws. "Yes I think I'm the only one that it's happened to," he said. "After all, my breakup with that bitch is nothing compared to anyone else's. I'll admit that when it happened, I felt alone and nobody cared about me. But then I realized that my family was there for me, along with my friends. Then when I found Bill and the others, my group of friends grew. Watching them train alongside me to become strong gave me the inspiration to do the same as well. It's because of my friends and family that I've gotten this strong and will continue to do so. Until that goal is reached. And that is killing her and the one responsible for ruining my life."

Everyone on the Star Flight team felt their eyes widen with shock. So did everyone else who didn't know what had happened to Nicholas on that day. But those who did just closed their eyes and looked away with a sad look on their faces. Hui-Ying on the other hand just stared in shock at her opponent.

"It's the only way to end the suffering those two have put me through," continued the vulpine. "And to keep the universe safe from their wrath."

Fara and Luna couldn't believe that the guy they loved would have such a goal. What had happened to him?

"And there's no other way?" asked Hui-Ying.

"There is none," said Nicholas. "Thanks to those two fuckers, they made me lose faith in love and relationships. That's why for so long I've always said no to girls who ask me out. I've lost the ability to fall in love which is why I don't want another relationship."

"I don't believe it," said the female panda. "I think you still have it."

The vulpine grabbed her shirt with his right paw. "You're wrong."

Fara wanted to ask what the story was behind Nicholas's break up. But she didn't know how. And could his opinion be changed? Vincent must have been able to see that the questions were on the vixen's mind because he then spoke to her. "That story is only for my son to tell." The young vixen looked to the older vulpine. "When he's ready, he'll tell you. Until then, just put that question in the back of your mind. As for making him see things differently, only time will tell."

The rest of the Star Flight team heard this, and decided to do what Vincent said. They turned their attention back to the fight.

"Now then, I think it's time to get you off of me," said Nicholas. He began to push Hui-Ying off of him, and was able to move her to the panda's shock and everyone else's. The vulpine's strength was incredible. Hui-Ying grabbed his arm, but couldn't get it removed.

Nicholas then had himself off of the tree. He let out a breath and his paw went off Hui-Ying. He launched his left fist at his opponent with all of his strength in the stomach while using the speed booster technique. Everyone could hear the impact as the fist went deep.

Some blood came out of Hui-Ying mouth as she was launched back and went several yards into the water. She landed and didn't get up for a few seconds. Meanwhile the vulpine looked at his right paw. "_What is it?_" he wondered. "_This sudden burst of power? Radiating through me? Is it my Cerinian blood getting excited because of fighting a strong opponent? Or is it because I've gotten stronger with all the fights I've had so far? If this is what I'm capable of now, then what will happen when I go all out? Either way, the show will be spectacular._"

Hui-Ying had gotten up on her feet, and was panting. "_Amazing,_" she thought. "_He never was this strong before. Not in all the fights we've had in the past._" The panda looked up and saw Nicholas looking at her from the bank.

"I won't stay down!" she shouted and used the speed booster technique to get close to the vulpine. He just dodged the punch she threw and got her with a right kick to the head. The panda went back again and did some back rolls to the water because of the momentum she had while charging at the vulpine.

"I'll grant you that you've got determination," said Nicholas. "But you're no match for me. The pain of what happened to me is the third thing that has made me strong besides friends and family. That's something you could never achieve."

Hui-Ying had gotten up by this point. She took out some beam shurikens and threw them at her opponent. The vulpine just dodged and used his speed booster technique to get behind the female panda. Her head turned to face him as he clapped his paws together.

"Fire energy beam!" he shouted, and from his paws a trail of actual fire came out. Hui-Ying let out a yell as the flames covered her. Everyone watched this in shock.

"What the hell was that?" asked Miyu, breaking the silence.

"One of the things that Cerinians and Part Cerinians can do with the Energy Beam technique," explained Linden. "Even a non Cerinian can as long as they wield one of our weapons. We can combine the fire projectiles or ice projection with the Energy Beam technique to create a trail of fire or of ice to use against an enemy. The attacks are more powerful than the original techniques, but they cost a bit more energy to use. If Nicholas is using the fire energy beam, then he must be getting serious."

The vulpine was watching, waiting for something to come out of the fire. Suddenly something did and it was Hui-Ying. The flames came off of her showing that she was unharmed. With a yell, she slugged her opponent on the left side of his face. Her eyes then widened in shock as the panda's punch had only made some blood come out of the corner of his mouth where he had been hit. Nicholas hadn't been moved at all.

The vulpine turned his head towards her. She then struck again and again. "_What's with him?!_" Hui-Ying wondered. It did move her opponent back, but it didn't seem to affect him at all. She then stopped, with her paws hurting a little bit.

"Is that the best you can do?" asked Nicholas and his opponent looked up to him. "I thought you were stronger. If that's all you've got, I guess I won't need it after all."

"What?"

"Oh come on. You haven't realized it yet? I'm not using the power that I got on that day."

"Don't mock me!" shouted Hui-Ying and launched her left paw at the fox. But he stopped it with his left. He began to push it back.

"You don't have what it takes," said the vulpine. "Not the strength or desire. If this is all you're going to do…" And with that he punched Hui-Ying in the stomach followed by some more with what he said next. "… Then I'll just pound you into a bloody pulp!" He ended with one more which sent the female panda to her knees.

He then turned his back on her and walked to the bank to wait for Hui-Ying. He knew that she wasn't done yet. The vulpine turned and saw her walk toward him with her energy field out again. The fox thought once again it seemed to heal her as the panda was walking with no trouble at all now.

"I hope that woke you up," he said. "Now you know that you need to take me more seriously."

Hui-Ying gritted her teeth and barred them at him with a growl while her energy shield vanished. "Allow me to show you," said Nicholas. "The true power of a Hiita's Rage user." Suddenly the green pupils he had turned red and the whites of his eyes became black.

Everyone in the waiting room and audience saw and heard this. They could see the change in the vulpine's eyes. They began to talk amongst themselves. The crocodile announcer said nothing.

"It can't be," said Lucas. "My brother… he actually…."

"I don't believe it," said Mitch.

"No way," said Tiger.

"What's going on here?" asked Bill.

"Why is everyone acting like this?" asked Amanda.

"What did my son say?" asked Linden in a shaky voice like she was on the verge of crying. Vincent wrapped his arms around the vixen to comfort her. Nicholas must have been able to hear the whispers because he spoke up.

"Yes, it's true," he said. "I really have gained the ability of Hiita's Rage. On that day were I was betrayed and my heart broken was the day when this power was granted to me. But I'm still me despite the fact that my eyes have changed."

"_So like that one guy, Nicholas has Hiita's rage,_" thought Kareem from his position. "_We'll need to keep an eye on this vulpine._"

"What is this thing Nicholas is talking about?" whispered Fara. The eyes of the fox she loved looked scary.

"It's one of the rarest of cases," said his father. "There are a few among both pure and part Cerinians that can achieve what is called a release. To have one is a difficult burden because often the user is looked down upon because others will be scared of them."

"So this thing Nicholas stated is one of them?" Luna whispered.

"Yes," said the older vulpine. "He has Hiita's Rage which is something only foxes and coyotes can get. Each release is accessible to only two species. Each one has two, three, or four states to it. Every time a state is used, some, but not all wounds are healed, and magical energy is completely restored. Each state also increases strength, agility, stamina, and speed each time one is used."

While Vincent said this, Nicholas wiped the blood off from his nose and around his mouth. The rest of the Star Flight team could see that the statement of wound healing was true since no more blood was coming out.

"But what about his eyes changing color?" asked Katt.

"Each release no matter what starts with the person's eyes changing color. And then during the final state, fur color is changed, and if they have hair, then the color of that is changed. Sometimes it can change length. So if Nicholas goes to that point, I don't know what he'll look like since each one is different."

"The only way it can be obtained is for the specie in question to have a certain aura. Only a few are born with it and we don't know what it is or who will have it. Then a certain event or strong emotion has to trigger the aura which grants the specie the release. I never thought my oldest son would have that aura."

Fara and Luna just thought about what Vincent had said. Could they still love Nicholas despite the fact that he had this ability? And could they still love him if he changed?

Meanwhile, Hui-Ying hadn't said anything all this time. She finally spoke. "So you've done what I told you to do before you left."

"Yes," said her opponent. "It took me two years of intense mental training to get this power under control. It's the only way someone with a release can learn how to use it properly. I wanted to avoid using this so others wouldn't get scared. And there are some I'd rather not see this." Instantly Fara's face went through Nicholas's mind. He didn't know why, but didn't have time to figure it out.

"But sooner or later I would have had to resort to using Hiita's Rage. Especially during the tournament," the vulpine continued. "I knew that my opponents would be strong. However, I wouldn't use it unless it was absolutely necessary. So far this is only the second time I've used it."

Everyone was shocked to hear this. "What?" asked Hui-Ying. "Then who was the first?"

"It was in my battle against Pecker for only a few seconds when he used his Energy Beam technique," the vulpine explained. "I knew with that much energy poured into the attack, my force field alone wouldn't be enough. So I had to resort to Hiita's Rage to not only avoid losing, but to also send Pecker out of bounds.

"_So that's it,_" thought the avian from the waiting room. "_I thought I saw his eye had changed color. I wasn't imagining things._"

"I then knew that I had to use this power against you to win," Nicholas continued. "Especially since you've got your own release called Blood Lust." Everyone except for a few felt more shock going through them.

"I didn't ask you to reveal it," the panda growled.

"But it would have sooner or later," said the vulpine. "After all, you could only have a shot of wining with it against me. In the past, if you had used it before I got my release, you could have easily torn me apart in a fight. You told me all about it when you told me what to do to get Hiita's Rage under control. You gained the Blood Lust release which can only be accessible by bears and badgers four years ago. What triggered it was the death of your best friend. You then had to spend two years after that getting it under control. That's why during that time period you said a fight wouldn't be a good idea. I wondered why. And then I found out from you that your Blood Lust release could go out of control since you hadn't mastered it."

Hui-Ying went silent as she remembered what had happened. "But after the training was over, you accept my proposals to fight," said Nicholas. "And never once did you use it since it wouldn't have been fair. Just like I decided before entering in this tournament. I swore that I would only use Hiita's rage against you or if someone pushed me far enough."

The fox then took a ready stance. "Now that I've got a release, we can fight at full strength. That's what it'll take to decide the winner. Now let's go Hui-Ying!"

The panda came back to the present and also took a ready stance. "Bring it!" she said. Everyone else just watched in silence.

Author's notes: I had to divide the final round up into two parts because the chapter was getting too long.


	27. Chapter 27

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 27: Final Round; Part Two

Nicholas charged at Hui-Ying. He was even faster since he was using the first state of the Hiita's Rage release. The vulpine came in with a punch since he figured that he could get the panda with just that. But he was wrong.

Hui-Ying just caught the attack and stopped it. "Heh!" she said.

"Oh?" asked Nicholas. "So you can keep up with me even in the first state of my release? But it doesn't matter: the result will be the same with me winning."

"We'll see," said his opponent and pulled to make the vulpine loose his balance. She jumped in the air, and brought her left leg down. Nicholas blocked it with a grunt. "_Yes!_" thought Hui-Ying. "_I can do this!_"

The vulpine then threw the panda off of him. She charged at him with a yell. The two exchanged some blows before Nicholas jumped into the air. He began to descend with his right fist ready. Hui-Ying came up and the fox had to change his direction with a back flip to avoid her upper cut. The vulpine landed on his feet while the panda let out a breath.

Hui-Ying then went on the offensive again with a few kicks. Nicholas just dodged them. The panda then clapped her paws together. "Ice energy beam!" she shouted and from her paws came a trail of ice. The vulpine jumped into the air to avoid the attack and then landed. The panda glared at him.

"_He's too fast,_" she thought. "_I can't land a single attack._" She then spoke up. "That's quite the agility you've got. And you have a most singular style."

"With the eyes I have now your style has become too direct," said Nicholas. "Almost obvious."

Hui-Ying charged with a yell and lashed out with a punch, but the fox just moved so she missed and landed on the ground. "It's over," said the vulpine, and the claws on his weapon came out. He came down while the panda flipped on her back. From her weapon at the ends came three spikes. The Fists of Cerinia and the Panda Gauntlets collided with sparks popping up.

Nicholas's eyes went wide with shock since he didn't think she would have been able to stop him. Hui-Ying got on her feet, and jumped back a few yards. "_I have to use that,_" she thought. The panda then charged at her opponent while using the speed booster technique. The vulpine was able to see her coming. She jumped and did a spin with her right leg out.

Nicholas moved his head back to avoid the attack but was even more shocked because Hui-Ying's attack was faster. The panda then launched at him with more kicks and punches. The vulpine dodged or blocked the attacks. "_She's gotten even faster!_" he thought. He then did a back flip and landed away from his opponent. She landed on the ground.

"_What is with her moves?_" Nicholas wondered. "_They're different now._" Hui-Ying just beckoned him with her fingers. The vulpine jumped forward and began to try to get her with punches and kicks. But the panda just dodged the attacks or blocked them.

"_Why can't I hit her?!_" Nicholas growled inside his head.

"What's going on here?" asked Dash as he was watching from the audience.

"Nicholas is having trouble," said Brooke from the waiting room. Jazerc just smiled as he knew what the matter was. Hui-Ying meanwhile got Nicholas with her palms and a couple of kicks. The vulpine went back a couple of feet.

"Hui-Ying is keeping up with Nicholas and even landing hits on him!" said the announcer. "He has yet to land one on her!"

"_Wait… Now I know what's going on and why I can't get her,_" thought Nicholas. "_I wasn't able to realize what it was at first because Hui-Ying's combined two fighting styles right now. Hers and the Drunken Fist style. The second one has moves that are much faster and stronger that are meant to confuse the opponent. Combined with her style makes her even stronger._"

"If you will not make a move than I will!" his opponent shouted and charged forward. The two met with punches and kicks. Hui-Ying than did a back flip and landed on her paws. She got Nicholas with a kick which sent him back. The panda didn't stop there, but launched herself forward with a punch which the vulpine stopped.

His opponent continued her assault. "_Her moves are so unorthodox,_" thought Nicholas. "_And on top of that she's strong and fast._" The panda then did a surprising maneuver. She went on her paws and began to lash out with kicks in that position. The vulpine blocked the attack before launching with a kick from his right leg. Hui-Ying jumped to the side to avoid it.

"Try this!" shouted Nicholas and did arm thrusts. His arms were a blur, but he monitored the attack so that if it made contact, the claws wouldn't hit anything vital. The panda just dodged the assault and then leaned back. The vulpine used the speed booster technique and got behind her. The fox swung with his weapon, but Hui-Ying raised herself up a bit to dodge the attack.

Her right arm went back to strike at her opponent who blocked it. The two went at it again. Suddenly the panda managed to get both of her legs wrapped around Nicholas's left. It made him fall as disbelief went across his face. With a yell, Hui-Ying got him with a punch from her right fist into his abs. It sent Nicholas back a couple of feet onto his back.

Everyone had watched in amazement and silence. They then noticed the blood on the spikes on the right side of the Panda's weapon. "An amazing exchange of blows and Nicholas is the one beaten!" said the announcer. "This is turning out to be one incredible fight! And it seems Hui-Ying has managed to wound her opponent!"

Nicholas rose to his feet, his right paw over the area where he had been punched. The wounds that had been inflected on him were bleeding. Blood was dripping down his front.

"Nicholas…" whispered Fara; concern was on the vixen's face.

"_I can't read her movements,_" thought the vulpine. "_For her to land an attack and wound me like that… That's very impressive considering that I'm in the first state of my release. There's no other choice._" He then spoke out loud. "Hiita's Rage: second state."

From underneath his shirt black colored lines began to spread all over his arms. They moved down those parts of the body and stopped right where Nicholas's weapon was. They didn't cover his arm tattoos and the lines looked like bite marks. Then the three wounds began to heal up. The whole process left everyone in shock. In less than a minute, the transformation was complete and the wounds were completely healed.

"My true advantage as a fighter is Hiita's Rage," said Nicholas. "Not only does each state completely restore my magical energy, it also heals some of my wounds. As you can see, the wounds you gave me Hui-Ying are completely healed. The only downside is that my clothes are now bloodstained and ripped. Besides that my strength, stamina, agility, and speed have increased and do so each time with a state. It seems the first state wasn't enough. This second one should make you get even more serious. I have to admit it's impressive that you've made me go to the second release. But this is as far as you'll go. And if you do somehow, you won't last against the fourth and final state."

Everyone was shocked to hear this. So there's four states in total for Hiita's rage?" asked Hui-Ying.

"Yes," said the vulpine. "After this comes a third state and then the final one."

"_Then… how much more will he changed?_" thought Fara with tears in her eyes. She didn't like how Nicholas looked now because he seemed so different. What would he look like at the final release?

Hui-Ying just smirked. "Go ahead and power up!" she said. "I don't want you to go down without you at your strongest!" She then used her speed booster technique to get close to the vulpine. She began to attack him, but he managed to block every one of her attempts. He then grabbed her arm and threw her back.

"Don't think that I'm the same anymore," said Nicholas. "Play time is over." He used his speed booster technique to get underneath Hui-Ying. He got her with a right upper cut, and then a kick which sent the panda back. The fox clapped his paws together. "Fire energy beam!" he shouted and launched the trail of fire at his opponent. It went to the trees and burned some of them to blackened trunks.

He then turned to the right. "Is that really all you've got?" asked Nicholas. "This is not like you." His opponent came out from some other trees, showing that she had managed to escape the vulpine's attack.

"Do you think at this level you can beat me?" asked the fox. "If you're not convinced yet… I'll just have to spill it out for you!" He charged and got his opponent with a punch. Hui-Ying jumped back towards a tree and kicked off to get away from the vulpine. He was right behind her and started to attack with his fists.

"What are you waiting for?" Nicholas asked. "I want to see what the only person I know who can used Blood Lust is capable of!" The panda had blocked all of his punches. But then the fox got her with a kick. With a yell he got her in the stomach with a punch. The attack knocked her back and off of the waterfall. Everyone in the audience gasped with shock.

Hui-Ying managed to used her Cerinian weapon to slowly descend down to safety by sticking the spikes into the rock wall. But she was panting. Nicholas just watched this from the top of the field. The panda straightened up as he then used his weapons to get to her level. Nobody said anything.

The vulpine went he got to the bottom didn't stop, but charged at his opponent. Hui-Ying responded and the two met with one of their paws blocking one of the other's fists. The panda had her teeth barred in concentration.

"I'm impressed that you can still keep up with me," said Nicholas. "But I can tell from your actions that you feel the same way as me. Be honest with yourself. You want to see which one of us is the strongest."

"I do," she said and managed to spin both of them around. The vulpine used the movement to grab a beam kunai knife from the panda's weapon pouch. He then jumped back.

"Good," said the fox. "Now it's time to settle this once and for all." He activated his stolen weapon. "I'm going to beat you in order to get stronger!" Nicholas threw the knife at his opponent.

Hui-Ying got a beam shuriken out, activated it, and threw it to intercept the knife. The weapons went flying to the side. "Then I'll take you out with my special Energy Beam technique!" she said. The panda grabbed her left arm and from that part came pink and white colored electricity. "Lighting Blade!" she shouted.

"What is this?" asked Luna.

"Something that all Cerinians, no matter what type, can do," said Vincent. "Each one can used their magical energy to create an attack that is unique to them. Even non Cerinians, as long as they have one of our weapons, can use this. We call these special Energy Beam techniques."

"Fine!" said Nicholas. "Then I'll have to do the same! Spiraling Energy Ball!" From his right palm came an orb of green energy. The two warriors then charged at each other and their attacks met in a collision.

The vulpine knew that the attack of his opponent wasn't really electricity or lighting, it just looked like it. So he could make contact without worrying about getting electrocuted. The energy from both of their attacks were streaming around the two fighters while everyone looked on in amazement. Suddenly the techniques canceled each other out and sent the fox and Panda flying back.

They landed several yards away from the other. "Incredible!" said the announcer. "The attacks didn't work! Now what will these two do?!"

Nicholas and Hui-Ying rose up. The panda was glaring at her opponent. "_He managed to stop my attack,_" she thought. "_This shouldn't be happening. Since when did he get this strong?_" The panda felt anger coursing through her veins. "_Have I underestimated him?_"

The vulpine just looked on at his opponent, not saying anything. "There's no other choice," said his opponent. "Blood Lust; first state." Everyone watched as the whites of her eyes became black and the pupils became golden in color.

"_So this is the Blood Lust release,_" thought Nicholas.

Hui-Ying then smiled. "You know what they say, right?" said the panda. "When two warriors are powerful enough, they're able to read each other's thoughts simply by an exchange of blows. Without uttering a single word."

"I do," said the fox.

"Then tell me. Can you read my thoughts? Can you tell what's on my mind?!" She then shot Fire Projectiles at her opponent. Nicholas jumped up to avoid them. His eyes then widened in shock as his opponent was suddenly right next to him. She was that fast.

A kick from Hui-Ying sent Nicholas back down to the ground. The panda got behind the fox and charged forward. The vulpine had barley turned around to met her when her fist got him in the abs. It had a lot of power behind it that it made Nicholas gasp and grunt with pain. The panda then got him with even more punches. The vulpine couldn't do a thing.

Fara and Luna just watched this in horror. Hui-Ying then grabbed Nicholas by his shirt with her right paw and lifted him off the ground. Her left paw began to cackle with her special Energy Beam technique. "This is the end," she said.

The vulpine knew that this blow would make him unable to fight anymore, but wouldn't kill him. "I don't plan on loosing," said Nicholas. The bite like marks on his arms began to glow red.

"You're too late!" shouted Hui-Ying and moved her arm forward. It didn't get far as Nicholas caught it and stopped it. His right paw that had been used was gripping the panda's arm and hurting her. It then pushed her back.

Everyone watched as Nicholas's energy field came on. It now had bits of red colored energy mixed with the green and white colors. The lines from his second release began to change, becoming straight and forming a pattern. They then began to cover his legs, face, and tail. "Hiita's Rage; third state," he said. The water around the fox was moving due to the energy he was releasing.

Hui-Ying just was holding onto her left arm while looking on. In less than a minute, the transformation was complete. Fara and Luna didn't say anything; they just stared with disbelief on their faces. Nicholas then yelled and launched a punch at the panda. The force wave was strong enough to knock her back.

The vulpine rushed forward and began an assault of punches on his opponent. She gasped as the attacks were strong. The fox then sent her back even further with a kick. After she landed, Nicholas let out a yell while just standing there.

"_Is that really Nicholas?_" Fara thought with a tear going down her face. It couldn't be.

Hui-Ying rose up and used her speed booster technique. Her opponent rushed forward, and got her with even more punches and kicks. The fox then jumped back and charged again.

"Fire energy beam!" shouted the panda and launched it at Nicholas. The vulpine just dodged the attack and got her behind with a kick. The panda went flying forward a few feet before stopping.

The vulpine waited while she got up. Hui-Ying turned towards the fox. "So how's that?' asked Nicholas."Had enough yet?"

"I'm not done yet," said the panda. Her eyes then glowed brighter. "I'll admit you're strong, Nicholas. Nobody has ever made me get this serious. Now come!"

The fox rushed forward with his fist ready. Hui-Ying just blocked the attack. "_I can see it!_" she thought. The panda blocked some more of Nicholas's attacks before jumping back. The fox followed her. "_His moves that were too fast before; I can see them! I guess it's because I'm using the full power of my first release!_"

Nicholas tried to get her, but it didn't work. He then got kicked back. "_Her moves are totally different now!_" thought the vulpine. "_But I'm not going to lose here!_" The fox charged forward at his opponent. But no matter what he did, he couldn't land a blow.

"Nicholas is having trouble once again!" said the announcer.

Hui-Ying not only managed to stop the vulpine's attacks, she actually got some hits on him. With a yell she then flipped him and brought her foot down. The fox got the blow to his abs and landed hard on the ground. Fara and Luna gasped and turned away from the sight.

The panda was panting with from the effort. "It's over," she said.

"Nicholas is down!" said the announcer. "One… Two…."

"_I'm still conscious,_" thought the vulpine. He then reached deep inside himself. "_I don't plan on loosing at all._"

"Three… F-" The announcer suddenly stopped counting as everyone including Hui-Ying saw something that looked like red colored energy begin to surround Nicholas.

"What the?" said the panda and got closer.

Then the energy lifted Nicholas off the ground to everyone's shock. Suddenly the vulpine lashed out with his right fist into his opponent's face. It sent her spinning onto her back. "Hiita's Rage; final state," the fox grunted and then began to gasp as the lines on his arms began to cover his entire body while glowing red. Meanwhile, Hui-Ying was groaning as she covered her face with her paws because of the hit to her.

Everyone else watched as the lines continued their journey and more of the red colored energy covered Nicholas. He then let out a yell as the field of energy fully surrounded him while the hair band holding his hair ripped apart and came off of him. He crouched down with a growl and the lines finished moving and began to recede to show he had changed again. The white parts of his fur had change to an orange color; the rest had become light brown. Two of his top teeth had grown and was past his lower lip. Finally his yellow hair was now colored purple and went down to his legs.

Everyone stared, not knowing what to say. Fara and Luna didn't want to look, but couldn't do it. Nicholas no longer looked like the vulpine they loved. Even though they remembered what he and Vincent had said about him being the same despite Hiita's rage, they could right now only see what was in front of them.

Hui-Ying meanwhile rose up. Her opponent charged at the panda and began his assault. She couldn't counter his moves and was sent flying back. She got to her feet and saw Nicholas's change. Her eyes widened in shock.

"_So this is the final state of Hiita's rage,_" she thought. "_I can't read his movements now. But that doesn't mean I won't give up!_" She then began her attack on her opponent. She tried everything, from regular attacks, to magical ones. It didn't work as Nicholas contoured or blocked every move while using punches and kicks. Some got the panda.

"_Fuck; I can't do anything!_" thought Hui-Ying. She then was sent flying back with a punch from the vulpine and went back into one of the walls on the rocky bank. Her boyfriend just looked away from the sight.

"Hui-Ying has been pushed back!" said the announcer.

The panda then let out a chuckle and got up. "Oh well," she said. "No getting around it, I guess. Once I go all out, I'm not all that sure what will happen. But you're not leaving me with a whole lot of choice here… Nicholas. Blood Lust; final state."

From her eyes orange colored energy came out and surrounded her body. Her ears, arms, and legs changed to the color blue. The hair became red and got longer. An energy field colored orange came out and surrounded the panda. Jazerc and everyone else watched this. The male panda didn't know what to think. Then he realized that he didn't need to. His girlfriend was still the same female he had fallen in love with and still did despite her change.

"There's no doubt that you're strong," said Hui-Ying. "Unfortunately, you're not quite strong as me."

"Is that so?" asked her opponent. "How can you be so confident?!"

"There's no way I'm going to lose."

Nicholas charged with a yell and threw a punch with his left fist at the panda. She blocked it. "See what I mean?" asked Hui-Ying. Her eyes then went wide with shock as she saw his right paw come up with his special energy beam technique ready.

"You lose!' shouted the vulpine."Spiraling Energy Ball!" His paw made contact and he turned himself and his opponent around. Hui-Ying was sent flying up and landed out of bounds.

Nobody spoke at all. Jazerc broke the silence in the waiting room. "Hui-Ying lost."

"My brother won," Lucas whispered.

"Nicholas won," whispered Fara. The vixen then stood up. "He's won! Nicholas has won!"

The audience roared their approval. The vulpine closed his eyes and he went back into his regular appearance except for the hair band that had gotten ripped. The girl who loved him noticed.

"Thank god," whispered Fara and closed her eyes as a few tears of joy came out. "He's back to normal."

"That's it!" said the announcer. "The winner of the tournament is Nicholas McCoy!"

Hui-Ying meanwhile had gotten up and was back to her normal appearance. She got back on the field and made her way to the vulpine.

"You did it," she said. "You've really gotten strong."

"So have you," said Nicholas. "That was one hell of a good fight."

"Yeah, but it looks like you are the stronger one. But I can get so to."

"I know you will," said Nicholas and the two then gathered up their beam weapons before heading to the healing pods.

X

After healing up, all the finalists came out which explained why even if they had lost, they returned to the waiting room. Each contestant was awarded a medal that had different colors with the place they had come in marked on the front. Only Pecker, Sarah, Hui-Ying. And Nicholas got one that was made of metal: bronze for fourth place, slicer for third, gold for second, and platinum for first. Then their pictures were taken.

"And that concludes the tournament!" said the announcer when the last photo shot was finished. "Give our fighters one more round of applause!" The species in the crowd did so. "We hope to see you again next year!" With that, everyone went to their own homes. The day had been exciting to say the least.

Author's notes: Just a word that the next chapters are going to get a lot more interesting. But that's just my opinion.


	28. Chapter 28

jStar Flight Adventures

Chapter 28: Third Gig and Births

Author's notes: Once again, some lyrics had to be changed.

X

The rest of June passed by without anything big happening. Nicholas smiled as he thought back about what had happened throughout the year. A lot of things had taken placed. Reuniting with family and friends, heading to almost all of the areas on Eladard, and seeing the rulers; just to name several.

The wedding of Tiger and Samantha had been one of the highlights for the vulpine. Coming in first for the racing season and the tournament were some of the best moments for the fox. So had the gigs that he and his team had done. But the biggest event for him at least was the celebration of his 21st birthday.

It seemed like everyone that he knew had attended it. The party had been a lot of fun; especially when Nicholas had tried some real alcohol. It had been like that for Bill, Dash, Ben, Cody, Katt, and Amanda who were also 21 by this point.

The vulpine also remembered when the seven's birthdays had been celebrated. The girls were now 19 years old. Nicholas had given the entire team one of the statues that his parents had brought back with them from Cerinia. The fox decided not to give the Cerinian jewelry to his teammates because he realizes that it would be better if they didn't get them because he figured it might cause some problems. But the statues were fine.

The last big event of the year was the graduation of Lucas, Mitch, Sarah, and Brooke from high school which took place on June 3rd. The entire Star Flight team had attended the ceremony. It had been just like a regular high school one. The two couples then began to look for apartments so that they could move in together. After the tournament, they did just that. And since then, Nicholas hadn't seen any of them. He could only wonder what they were up to.

But if there was one thing that could make the year sour was the fact that both him and the entire team were being asked to go out with someone that was the opposite sex. The guys more so than the girls. It had been happening throughout the year, but increased as people got to know the Star Flight team better.

Nicholas knew that he and the guys were good looking and that the girls were beautiful, but there were problems that would make it impossible for them to go out with someone. The vulpine didn't know about Miyu and Amanda. All he knew was that they weren't interesting in dating right now. Besides, they were part of a group of pilots. They shouldn't have to settle down yet.

It was a different story for the rest. The vulpine knew that Fay loved Bill, Nami loved Cody, Yuki, and Lucy loved Ben. As for Katt, that feline was set on getting with Falco. He had seen this when he had first tested them against his mind reading ability. So he knew those girls wanted to hook up with those guys. As for Fara and Luna, those two didn't seem interested in any of the other males on Eladard. What he didn't know what that the vixen and female wolf were both in love with him.

When it came to the other guys, he suspected that Bill loved Fay, Cody loved Nami, Ben loved Lucy, and Dash loved Yuki. And as for him, he didn't want another relationship. He had made his opinions on that during the tournament. When Nicholas had the asking out question directed at him had stopped. But it had still continued for the others. But every time it was asked, they all said no.

X

The month of July then came and Nicholas decided that another gig should take place on the 15th. The word got out to everyone. To the vulpine's surprise, Lucas, Mitch, Sarah, and Brooke were coming. The fox figured that they wouldn't since he hadn't seen them all this time. They could have been on a different planet.

The night arrived, and it was a full house at the place where it would take place. Lucas, Sarah, Mitch, Brooke, Kivuli, Hui-Ying, Jazerc, Kralie, Saria, Pecker, Celestia, Bryn, Sig, Reed, and Hikari were all there to see the Star Flight team play, even Rina. Samantha wasn't at this one due to her pregnancy. It was better if the snow leopard stayed at her home. Tiger also didn't show up since he needed to be with his wife in case something happened.

Back stage, the band was talking amongst each other. They were in their regular team outfits and the ones that could sing but played an instrument had head mikes on. "I can't believe so many people showed up," said Nami. Even though she wouldn't be performing, the river otter wanted this concert to be a success.

"We've been practicing for this," said Cody. "I'm feeling pumped up for this."

"Just make sure you don't lose focus," said Nicholas.

Then at 7:55, the team came out except for Luna to the roar of the crowd. They took up their positions and the vulpine spoke into the mike. "Thank you so much! It is so great to see a full house tonight!" He was met with enthusiasm. "Now let's get started!"

The band began to play I Gotta Feeling. The lights started dim, but began to get brighter. The species in the audience were clapping their paws, hands, or wings to the beat. Nicholas than began to sing.

Nicholas: **I gotta feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night**

**That tonight's gonna be a good night**

**That tonight's gonna be a good, good night**

**A feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night**

**That tonight's gonna be a good night**

**That tonight's gonna be a good, good night**

Luna then appeared and joined in with the vulpine with a head mike.

Nicholas and Luna: **A feeling, woohoo, that tonight's gonna be a good night**

**That tonight's gonna be a good night**

**That tonight's gonna be a good, good night**

**A feeling, woohoo, that tonight's gonna be a good night**

**That tonight's gonna be a good night**

**That tonight's gonna be a good, good night**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Dash, Ben, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt: **Tonight's the night, let's live it up**

**I got my money, let's spend it up**

**Go out and smash it like oh my God**

**Jump off that sofa, let's get, get off**

Katt: **I know that we'll have a ball**

**If we get down and go out and just lose it all**

Miyu:** I feel stressed out, I wanna let it go**

**Let's go way out spaced out and losing all control**

Nicholas, Cody, Bill, Dash, and Ben: **Fill up my cup, mazel tov**

**Look at her dancing, just take it off**

**Let's paint the town, we'll shut it down**

**Let's burn the roof, and then we'll do it again**

Nicholas: **Let's do it, let's do it, let's do it, let's do it**

**And do it and do it, let's live it up**

**And do it and do it and do it, do it, do it**

**Let's do it, let's do it, let's do it**

Nicholas: **'Cause I gotta feeling, woohoo, that tonight's gonna be a good night**

**That tonight's gonna be a good night**

**That tonight's gonna be a good, good night**

Nicholas and Fara: **A feeling, woohoo, that tonight's gonna be a good night**

**That tonight's gonna be a good night**

**That tonight's gonna be a good, good night**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Dash, Ben, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt: **Tonight's the night**

Ben: **(Hey!)**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Dash, Ben, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt: **Let's live it up**

Fay:** (Let's live it up)**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Dash, Ben, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt: **I got my money**

Dash: **(My pay)**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Dash, Ben, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt: **Let's spend it up**

Bill: **(Let's spend it up)**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Dash, Ben, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt: **Go out and smash it**

Fay: **(Smash it)**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Dash, Ben, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt: **Like oh my God**

Cody: **(Like oh my God)**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Dash, Ben, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt: **Jump off that sofa**

Ben: **(Come on!)**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Dash, Ben, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt: **Let's get, get off**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Dash, Ben, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt: **Fill up my cup**

Luna:** (Drink)**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Dash, Ben, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt: **Mazel tov**

Katt and Dash:** (Le heim)**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Dash, Ben, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt: **Look at her dancing**

Fara:** (Move it, move it)**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Dash, Ben, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt:** Just take it off**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Dash, Ben, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt: **Let's paint the town**

Bill: **(Paint the town)**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Dash, Ben, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt:** We'll shut it down**

Dash: **(Let's shut it down)**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Dash, Ben, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt:** Let's burn the roof**

**And then we'll do it again**

Nicholas:** Let's do it, let's do it, let's do it, let's do it**

**And do it and do it, let's live it up**

**And do it and do it and do it, do it, do it**

**Let's do it, let's do it, let's do it, do it, do it, do it**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Dash, Ben, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt: **Here we come, here we go, we gotta rock**

Nicholas: **(Rock rock rock rock rock)**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Dash, Ben, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt:** Easy come, easy go, now we on top**

Nicholas: **(Top top top top top)**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Dash, Ben, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt: **Feel the shot, body rock, rock it, don't stop**

Nicholas: **(Stop stop stop stop stop)**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Dash, Ben, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt: **Round and round, up and down, around the clock**

Nicolas: **(Rock rock rock rock rock)**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt: **Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday**

Dash and Ben: **(Do it!)**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt: **Friday, Saturday, Saturday to Sunday**

Dash and Ben: **(Do it!)**

Nicholas, Bill, Cody, Dash, Ben, Fara, Miyu, Fay, Luna, and Katt: **Get, get, get, get, get with us, you know what we say, say**

**Party every day, p-p-p-party every day**

Nicholas and Luna:** And I'm feelin', woohoo, that tonight's gonna be a good night**

**That tonight's gonna be a good night**

**That tonight's gonna be a good, good night**

Nicholas and Fara: **I gotta feeling, woohoo, that tonight's gonna be a good night**

**That tonight's gonna be a good night**

**That tonight's gonna be a good, good night**

Nicholas: **Woohoo**

The got much applause from the audience. When it was done Nichols spoke. "This next one will be done by Katt." He and Luna walked off the stage as the black and while feline took her position. The band began to play Domino and the cat started to sing.

**I'm feeling sexy and free**

**Like glitter's raining on me**

**You're like a shot of pure gold**

**I think I'm bout to explode**

**I can taste the tension like a cloud of smoke in the air**

**Now I'm breathing like I'm running cause you're taking me there**

**Don't you know...you spin me out of control**

**Ooh ooh ooh ooh**

She had the audience going with the song. Nicholas and Luna just watched back stage with smiles on their faces.

**We can do this all night**

**Turn this love skin tight**

**Baby come on**

**Ooh ooh ooh ooh**

**Boomin' like a bass drum**

**Sparkin' up a rhythm**

**Baby, come on!**

**Ooh ooh ooh ooh**

**Rock my world until the sunlight**

**Make this dream the best I've ever known**

**Dirty dancing in the moonlight**

**Take me down like I'm a domino**

**Every second is a highlight When we touch don't ever let me go**

**Dirty dancing in the moonlight Take me down like I'm a domino**

Most of the species were mouthing off the words since they knew this song.

**You got me losing my mind**

**My heart beats out of time**

**I'm seeing Hollywood stars**

**You strum me like a guitar**

**I can taste the tension like a cloud of smoke in the air**

**Now I'm breathing like I'm running cause you're taking me there**

**Don't you know...you spin me out of control**

**Ooh ooh ooh ooh**

**We can do this all night**

**Turn this love skin tight**

**Baby come on**

**Ooh ooh ooh ooh**

**Boom'n like a bass drum**

**Sparkin' up a rhythm**

**Baby, come on!**

**Ooh ooh ooh ooh**

**Rock my world until the sunlight**

**Make this dream the best I've ever known**

**Dirty dancing in the moonlight**

**Take me down like I'm a domino**

**Every second is a highlight**

**When we touch don't ever let me go**

**Dirty dancing in the moonlight**

**Take me down like I'm a domino**

**Ooh baby baby got me feeling so right**

**Ooh baby baby dancing in the moonlight**

**Ooh baby baby got me feeling so right**

**Ooh baby baby dancing in the moonlight**

**Ooh baby baby got me feeling so right**

**Ooh baby baby dancing in the moonlight**

**Ooh baby baby got me feeling so right**

**Ooh baby baby**

**Ooh ooh ooh ooh**

**Rock my world until the sunlight**

**Make this dream the best I've ever known**

**Dirty dancing in the moonlight**

**Take me down like I'm a domino**

**Every second is a highlight**

**When we touch don't ever let me go**

**Dirty dancing in the moonlight**

**Take me down like I'm a domino**

The audience whistled and yelled for the feline as she stepped back so Luna could take her place. She spoke into the regular mike instead of the head one that she had previously worn. "Now I will be doing the next one." The band began to play Just Dance. After the intro, the she wolf began to sing.

Luna: **I've had a little bit too much, much**

**All of the people start to rush, start to rush by**

The students were beginning to clap to the beat; Luna had them going. She sounded so good as usual.

**How does he twist the dance? Can't find a drink, oh man**

**Where are my keys? I lost my phone, phone**

**What's going on out on the floor?**

**I love this record baby but I can't see straight anymore**

**Keep it cool, what's the name of this club?**

**I can't remember but it's alright, a-alright**

The audience exploded into cheers as she went into the course.

**Just dance, gonna be okay, da da doo-doo-mmm**

**Just dance, spin that record babe, da da doo-doo-mmm**

**Just dance, gonna be okay, d-d-d-dance**

**Dance, dance, just, j-j-just dance**

**Wish I could shut my playboy mouth, oh oh oh-oh**

**How'd I turn my shirt inside out? Inside outright**

**Control your poison babe, roses have thorns they say**

**And we're all getting hosed tonight, oh oh oh-oh**

**What's going on out on the floor?**

**I love this record baby but I can't see straight anymore**

**Keep it cool, what's the name of this club?**

**I can't remember but it's alright, a-alright**

**Just dance, gonna be okay, da da doo-doo-mmm**

**Just dance, spin that record babe, da da doo-doo-mmm**

**Just dance, gonna be okay, d-d-d-dance**

**Dance, dance, just, j-j-just**

Nicholas suddenly came out with a head mike to the screams of the girls in the audience. He began to sing his part.

Nicholas:** When I come through on the dance floor checkin' out that catalog**

**Can't believe my eyes, so many women without a flaw**

**And I ain't gon' give it up, steady tryin' to pick it up like a car**

**I'ma hit it, I'ma hit it and flex and do it until tomorr' yeah**

**Shawty I can see that you got so much energy**

**The way you're twirlin' up them hips 'round and 'round**

**And now there's no reason at all why you can't leave here with me**

**In the meantime stay and let me watch you break it down**

Luna: **And dance, gonna be okay, da da doo-doo-mmm**

**Just dance, spin that record babe, da da doo-doo-mmm**

Nicholas stayed to the side as she sang.

**Just dance, gonna be okay, da da doo-doo-mmm**

**Just dance, spin that record babe, da da doo-doo-mmm**

**Just dance, gonna be okay, d-d-d-dance**

**Dance, dance, just, j-j-just dance**

This was not like the last time when Star Flight had performed this song. Everything was fine with Fara.

Nicholas: **Amazing. Music. Woo! Let's go!**

Luna: **Half psychotic, sick, hypnotic**

**Got my blueprint, it's symphonic**

**Half psychotic, sick, hypnotic**

**Got my blueprint electronic**

**Half psychotic, sick, hypnotic**

**Got my blueprint, it's symphonic**

**Half psychotic, sick, hypnotic**

**Got my blueprint electronic**

Luna: **Go! Use your muscle, carve it out, work it, hustle**

Nicholas: **I got it, just stay close enough to get it on**

Luna: **Don't slow! Drive it, clean it, lights out, bleed it**

**Spend the lasto**

Nicholas: **(I got it)**

Luna: **In your pocko**

Nicholas: **(I got it)**

Luna: **Just dance, gonna be okay, da da doo-doo-mmm**

**Just dance, spin that record babe, da da doo-doo-mmm**

**Just dance, gonna be okay, da da doo-doo-mmm**

**Just dance, spin that record babe, da da doo-doo-mmm**

**Just dance, gonna be okay, d-d-d-dance**

**Dance, dance, just, j-j-just dance**

After the applause had died down, the band did Rock star before a ten minute break came. When that was done the band did Picking Up The Pieces, Fine By Me, Thunder, and Dig. Nicholas didn't perform during the first one because it had no words, and he didn't know how to play the bass on that song. Then another break came. After that the band did Cry Me A River. When it was done, Nicholas spoke into the regular mike.

"Now comes another song that I think applies to me." The lights shining on the stage went dim as the band began to play Let It Burn. When it reached the half-way point of the intro, the lights went on to full brightness. When it was done, Nicholas began to sing.

**I watch the city burn**

**These dreams like ashes float away**

**Your voice I never heard**

**Only silence**

**Where were you when our hearts were bleeding**

**Where were you when it all crashed down**

**Never thought that you'd deceive me**

**Where are you now**

**How long can you stand the pain**

**How long will you hide your face**

**How long will you be afraid**

**Are you afraid**

**How long will you play this game**

**Will you fight or will you walk away**

**How long will you let it burn**

**Let it burn**

**And let it burn**

Everyone in the audience thought the vulpine had some anger in his voice, just like when he had sung Cry Me A River.

**I watch the city burn**

**These passions slowly smoldering**

**A lesson never learned**

**Only violence**

**Is your world just a broken promise**

**Is your love just a drop of rain**

**Will we all just burn our fire**

**Are you still there**

**Can you stand the pain**

**How long will you hide your face**

**How long will you be afraid**

**Are you afraid**

**How long will you play this game**

**Will you fight or will you walk away**

**How long will you let it burn**

**Let it burn**

**And let it burn**

Luna had tears in her eyes as she watched from backstage. She could see that Nicholas was hurting a bit. Fara was also in the same situation. But the vixen somehow managed to keep playing.

**Will you wait until it all burns down**

**Will you hide until it all burns down**

**Will it hurt when it all burns down**

**Will you fight when it all burns down**

**Will you stand when it all burns down**

**Will you love when it all burns down**

**Will it end when it all burns down**

**Will you just let it all burns down**

**Can you stand the pain**

**How long will you hide your face**

**How long will you be afraid**

**Are you afraid**

**How long will you play this game**

**Will you fight or will you walk away**

**How long will you let it burn**

**Let it burn**

**And let it burn**

**Let it burn**

**Let it burn**

**And let it burn**

When the song ended, the audience weren't sure if they should applaud or not. Nicholas then spoke into the mike. "The next one should be more cheerful." The lights shining on the stage went dim again. Suddenly the music came on which was True Light. The girls in the audience let out fan girl screams. The light slowly got brighter and brighter. Than Nicholas began to sing.

**Darkness of white you can,**

**through the sadness take your flight,**

**and become the wings that pierce the veil,**

**spreading strong and true tonight.**

The lights came onto their full brightness as the species in the audience let out yells.

**Brought into the light at last,**

**by the cold exposing sun,**

**I was granted freedom, tame,**

**to become the chosen one.**

**Through the mirror, night reflected, miraculous to see,**

**my soul threw away the mask, that hides the deeper me.**

**Reveal the soul inside,**

**shred the truth with all your lies,**

**hope, despair and grace,**

**hold the common face,**

**a truth you cannot hide.**

**Heed to the burning call on the sure and swifted wing**

**hear your heart's desire, like a burning fire,**

**fly back to the beginning**

The audience was loving this song. You could see it on their faces.

**In this place of love and hate, where the wind blows like a blade,**

**two young hearts of grace and beauty, descisons start to fade,**

**on my journey, for deception, the pain is all I see,**

**seeking the righteous path to find the truth in me.**

Nicholas had a smile on his muzzle. You could tell he was enjoying this.

**Vanish with the fake light,**

**born into the true light,**

**within these hands.**

**Breaking the dark of night,**

**Piercing through the painted white,**

**cut it all away from yesterday,**

**till' a new era's in sight.**

**Unlock the heart within,**

**let it spread its wings and soar,**

**rising up in flight, through the night of white,**

**and fly on forever more.**

When it came to an end, the audience roared for Nicholas. He then spoke into the mike. "The next one will be done by Fara." He walked off the stage. The band began to play Amazing. When the intro was done the vixen began to sing.

**The morning cold and raining,**

**dark before the dawn could come**

**How long in twilight waiting**

**longing for the rising sun**

**ohoh ohoh Oh ooh**

**You came like crashing thunder**

**breaking through these walls of stone**

**You came with wide eyed wonder**

**into all this great unknown**

**ohoh ohoh Ohoooh Oohh**

**Hush now don't you be afraid**

**I promise you I'll always stay**

**I'll never be that far away**

**I'm right here with you**

**You're so amazing you shine like the stars**

**You're so amazing the beauty you are**

**You came blazing right into my heart**

**You're so amazing you are...**

**You are**

The lyrics seemed to speak to each of the girls in the band even more than when they had first heard this song. The guys they loved seemed to be even more amazing then when they had first met them.

**You came from heaven shining**

**Breath of God still flows from fresh on you**

**The beating heart inside me**

**Crumbled at this one so new**

**ohoh ohoh Oooh ooohhh**

**No matter where or how far you wander**

**For a thousand years or longer**

**I will always be there for you**

**Right here with you**

**You're so amazing you shine like the stars**

**You're so amazing the beauty you are**

**You came blazing right into my heart**

**You're so amazing you are...**

**I hope your tears are few and fast**

**I hope your dreams come true at last**

**I hope you find love that goes on and on and on and on and on**

**I hope you wish on every star**

**I hope you never fall too far**

**I hope this place can see how wonderful you are**

**You're so amazing you shine like the stars**

**You're so amazing the beauty you are**

**You came blazing right into my heart**

**You're so amazing...**

**You're so amazing you shine like the stars**

**You're so amazing the beauty you are**

**You came blazing right into my heart**

**You're so amazing you are...**

**You are**

**ooooooo**

The audience roared for the vixen when she was done singing. After that came a break. Then the band did Live To Win, Limelight, Pride And Joy, and Drive By. After another break Nicholas spoke into the mike. "This next one is going to be sung by me and Fay." The band began to play Higher. After the intro, the vulpine began to sing.

Nicholas: **Wooooo, Wooooo, Wooooo, Wooooo, Wooooo, Wooooo, **

**Wooooo, Wooooo**

Nicholas: **Now I know how to get down on the floor**

Fay: **Experience in moves you can't ignore**

Nicholas: **But something 'bout this beat that's got me hooked**

Fay: **Come over here and take a closer look**

Fay: **'Cause I can't get enough, I can't get enough**

**I can't stay on the ground**

Nicholas: **Whoa, **

**I can't get enough, I can't get enough**

**This is taking me now**

Fay: **It's taking me higher, higher**

**Higher off the ground**

**It's taking me higher, higher**

**Higher off the ground**

Nicholas: **Wooooo, Wooooo, Wooooo, Wooooo**

Nicholas:** I do this just for kicks, just for the thrill**

Fay: **I got this high without taking a pill**

Nicholas: **This groove has got me way over the sun**

Fay: **I'm dancing like I am the only one**

Nicholas: **'Cause I can't get enough, I can't get enough**

**I can't stay on the ground**

**Whoa, **

Fay: **I can't get enough, I can't get enough**

**This is taking me now**

Nicholas: **It's taking me higher, higher**

**Higher off the ground**

**It's taking me higher, higher**

**Higher off the ground**

Nicholas: **Wooooo, Wooooo, Wooooo, Wooooo **

Nicholas:** The music's got me going higher**

Nicholas and Fay: **I feel like I can touch the sky**

Nicholas: **It's taking me higher, higher**

**Higher off the ground**

**It's taking me higher, higher**

**Higher off the ground**

Nicholas and Fay: **It's taking me higher, higher**

**Higher off the ground**

**It's taking me higher, higher**

**Higher off the ground**

Nicholas: **Wooooo, Wooooo, Wooooo, Wooooo, Wooooo, Wooooo, **

**Wooooo, Wooooo**

When they were done the audience cheered and shouted for them. Nicholas than spoke. "The next one will be done by me and Dash. But what he says in this song doesn't mean that he's actually done it." The band began to play International Love and after the intro, the male snow monkey began his part.

Dash: **Went from Mr. 305 (DJ) to Mr. Placewide, all around the places**

**Now we're International, So international, international, So international**

**You can't catch me, boy**

**I'm over places and with about a hundred G's per show**

**Don't test me boy, (Don't test me boy)**

**Cause I rap with the best for sure,**

**305 till the death of me**

**Cremate my body and let the ocean have what's left of me**

**But for now, forget about that,**

**Blow the whistle**

**Baby you're the referee**

**DALE!**

Nicholas: **You put it down like Corneria**

**I never sleep, wild like Sauria**

**My fantasy, hotter then Solar**

**I feel the heat!**

**Ohh, Miss International love**

**Ohh, Miss International love**

The two had the audience going.

Dash: **I don't play football but I've touched down everywhere**

Nicholas: **Everywhere? **

Dash: **Everywhere!**

**I don't play baseball but I've hit a home run everywhere, everywhere**

**I've been to planets and cities I can't pronounce**

**And the places in the system I ain't know existed**

**On Katina she pulled me to the side and told me `Dash, you can have me and my sister.`**

**On Zoness, yeah the women are bomb**

**And on Aqaus you've guessed it the women are sweet**

**Been all around the system but I ain't gon' lie there's nothing like Solar's heat**

Nicholas: **You put it down like Corneria**

**I never sleep, wild like Sauria**

**My fantasy, hotter then Solar**

**I feel the heat!**

**Ohh, Miss International love**

**Ohh, Miss International love**

Dash: **Down in D.R. they're looking for visas,**

**I ain't talking credit cards if you know what I mean!**

**En Kew, la cosa esta dura!**

**But the woman get down, if you know what I mean!**

**On Fichina the women got everything on but they're some of the most beautiful women I've ever seen**

**On Macbeth they're freaky with big ol' booties and their thongs, blue yellow and green!**

**On Eladard tengo la Mexicana, en Papetoon tengo la boricua**

**Besito para todas las mujeres en Katina, muah!**

**Y en Corneria tengo a cualquiera!**

Nicholas: **You put it down like Corneria**

**I never sleep, wild like Sauria**

**My fantasy, hotter then Solar**

**I feel the heat!**

**Ohh, Miss International love**

**Ohh, Miss International love**

**There's not a place that your love don't affect me baby**

**So don't ever change**

**I cross the system when I'm with you baby**

**Heeey**

**Woah-oh**

Dash:** Nicholas**

**This for the women system wide**

**That's right**

Nicholas: **You put it down like Corneria**

**I never sleep, wild like Sauria**

**My fantasy, hotter then Solar**

**I feel the heat!**

**Ohh, Miss International love**

**Ohh, Miss International love**

**You put it down like Corneria**

**I never sleep, wild like Sauria**

**My fantasy, hotter then Solar**

**I feel the heat!**

**Ohh, Miss International love**

**Ohh, Miss International love**

When they were done, they got a round of applause. Nicholas then stepped off the stage and Cody spoke into his head mike. "The next one will be done by me and Ben." The band began to play Club Can't Handle Me. After the intro the male river otter and hare began to sing.

Both: **You know I know how**

**To make em stop and stare as I zone out**

**The club can't even handle me right now**

**Watchin' you watchin' me I go all out**

**The club can't even handle me right now (yeah)**

**The club can't even handle me right now (yeah)**

Cody: **Hey**

**I own the night and I don't need no help**

**Gotta be the feeling that Scarface felt**

**Stuntin go wild can't handle this plan**

**Life of the club arrogant like yeah!**

**Top like money so the girls just melt**

**Want to many all know me like Twelve**

**Look like cash and they all just stare**

**Bottles, Models, standing on chairs**

**Fall out cause that's the business**

**All out it's so ridiculous**

**Zone out so much attention**

**Scream out I'm in the building (hey!)**

**They watchin I notice**

**I'm rocking I'm rolling**

**I'm holding, I know it**

**You know it**

Both: **You know I know how**

**To make em stop and stare as I zone out**

**The club can't even handle me right now**

**Watchin' you watchin' me I go all out**

**The club can't even handle me right now (yeah)**

**The club can't even handle me right now (yeah)**

They were doing a good job keeping with the beat. They weren't even breathing hard impressing the audience.

Ben: **Hey**

**Still feeling myself I'm like outta control**

**Can't stop now more shots let's go**

**Ten more rounds can I get a K.O.**

**Paparazzi trying to make me pose**

**Came to party till I came no more**

**Celebrate cause that's all I know**

**Tip the groupies taking off their clothes**

**Grand finale' like superbowl**

**Go hard I run the show**

**That's right while I got money to blow**

**More light more ice when I walk in the door**

**No hype I do it big all over the globe**

**Yeah!**

**I said it**

**Go tell it**

**Confetti**

**Who ready?**

**I'm ready!**

**You ready!**

**Let's get it!**

Both: **You know I know how**

**To make em stop and stare as I zone out**

**The club can't even handle me right now**

**Watchin' you watchin' me I go all out**

**The club can't even handle me right now (yeah)**

Ben: **(Put your hands up!)**

**(Put your hands up!)**

**(Put your hands up!)**

Both: **The club can't even handle me right now (yeah)**

Cody: **(Put your hands up!)**

**(Put your hands up!)**

**(Put your hands up!)**

Both: **You got me watchin now (hey)**

**Got my attention now (hey)**

**Got everybody in the club wanting to know now**

**I am a ladies man**

**Come be my lady and...**

**We can both soar high**

**Bring ya body here let me switch up the atmosphere**

**Take you up out of this club and in my new limo**

**Fly you around the system**

**What you want baby girl**

**Are you ready to go now!**

**You know I know how**

**To make em stop and stare as I zone out**

**The club can't even handle me right now**

**Watchin' you watchin' me I go all out**

**The club can't even handle me right now (yeah)**

Dash: **(Put your hands up!)**

**(Put your hands up!)**

**(Put your hands up!)**

Ben: **The club can't even handle me right now (yeah)**

**(Put your hands up!)**

**Let's celebrate now**

**(Put your hands up!)**

**You know who shut em down!**

When they were done the audience roared for them. Miyu then spoke into her head mike. "I am doing the next one." The band began to play Every Time We Touch and the lynx started to sing.

**I still hear your voice when you sleep next to me**

**I still feel your touch in my dreams**

**Forgive me my weakness, but I don't know why**

**Without you it's hard to survive**

**'Cause every time we touch, I get this feeling**

**And every time we kiss, I swear I could fly**

**Can't you feel my heart beat fast?**

**I want this to last**

**Need you by my side**

'**Cause every time we touch, I feel the static**

**And every time we kiss, I reach for the sky**

**Can't you hear my heart beat so?**

**I can't let you go**

**Want you in my life**

The lyrics spoke to the girls in the band that were in love with one of the guys. This was exactly what they wanted. Them in the arms of the one they loved.

**Your arms are my castle, your heart is my sky**

**They wipe away tears that I cry**

**The good and the bad times, we've been through them all**

**You make me rise when I fall**

**'Cause every time we touch, I get this feeling**

**And every time we kiss I swear I could fly**

**Can't you feel my heart beat fast?**

**I want this to last**

**Need you by my side**

**'Cause every time we touch, I feel the static**

**And every time we kiss, I reach for the sky**

**Can't you hear my heart beat so?**

**I can't let you go**

**Want you in my life**

The audience was cheering for the lynx. She had them going.

**'Cause every time we touch, I get this feeling**

**And every time we kiss, I swear I could fly**

**Can't you feel my heart beat fast?**

**I want this to last**

**Need you by my side**

When Miyu was done, the audience shouted and clapped. Nicholas then came from back stage. He picked up his bass guitar that was waiting for him. "And now we have one last song to do." Miyu counted off by hitting her drum sticks. The band then started to play Into The Night. Everyone shouted as the realized what the song was. Nicholas had a smile on his face as he played on his bass. After the intro, he began to sing.

**Like a gift from the heavens, it was easy to tell**

**It was love from above that could save me from hell**

**She had fire in her soul it was easy to see**

**How the devil himself could be pulled out of me**

**There were drums in the air as she started to dance**

**Every soul in the room keeping time with their hands**

**And we sang**

**Ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay**

**And the voices rang like the angels sing**

**And we're singing, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay**

**And we danced on into the night**

**Ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh**

**And we danced on into the night**

**Like a piece to the puzzle that falls into place**

**You could tell how we felt from the look on our faces**

**We were spinning in circles with the moon in our eyes**

**No room left to move in between you and I**

**We forgot where we were and we lost track of time**

**And we sang to the wind as we danced through the night**

**And we sang**

**Ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay**

**And the voices rang like the angels sing**

**And we're singing ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay**

**And we danced on into the night**

**Ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh**

**And we danced on into the night**

**Ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh**

**And we danced on into the night**

Everyone in the audience could see that Nicholas was enjoying this. Fara couldn't help but noticing that the vulpine's voice seemed to have a bit more love in it as he was singing. Could he be recovering from his bad break up?

**Like a gift from the heavens, it was easy to tell**

**It was love from above that could save me from hell**

**She had fire in her soul it was easy to see**

**How the devil himself could be pulled out of me**

**There were drums in the air as she started to dance**

**Every soul in the room keeping time with their hands**

**And we sang**

**Ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay**

**And the voices rang like the angels sing**

**And we're ****singing ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay**

**And we danced on into the night**

**Ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay**

**And the voices rang like the angels sing**

**And we're singing ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay**

**And we danced on into the night**

**And ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay**

**Ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay**

**And singing ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, oh, ay**

**And we danced on into the night**

When the song came to an end the audience whistled, clapped, and shouted for the Star Flight team. Nicholas just bowed and then saluted the crowd. This gig had been fun.

X

The CDs were made and delivered to those who had attended the concert. The vulpine himself went to Tiger and Samantha's house to give one to them, even though the jungle cat and snow leopard hadn't attended the gig. He learned from them that the due date for the twins would be on August 31st. Nicholas wasted no time in telling everyone that he knew, including Rina. A baby shower was held for the two soon to be parents. The month of July quickly passed and soon it was August.

The Star Flight team spent the days at Teirm while continuing with their usual routines. But Nicholas was getting a gut feeling once again that this wouldn't last much longer. The vulpine had a feeling that the time was coming were the Star Flight team would be leaving Eladard. But not quite yet. He wanted to at least stay for the birth of the coming twins. For their mom and dad, the month of August quickly passed. Then only one week was left before the children would be born. It found Tiger driving back form the store with some things.

The jungle cat didn't know why he felt so tense and high strung right now during this period of time. Maybe it was because the twins were so close from delivery and his life and Samantha's would be changed forever. He got out of the car and headed for the front door of the house he and the snow leopard had bought. He stood at the doorstep but didn't intruded just yet. The jungle cat took a deep breath and tried to relax his ever so tense muscles. Tiger than rang the doorbell.

He got a sweet greeting, as the door opened to reveal his beautiful wife and the soon to be mother herself. Samantha's face lit up and her eyes held a burning passion and lust for her husband's return. She walked over slowly with a paw over her swollen belly that looked like it was about to burst and kissed him sweetly.

"Hey there honey," she whispered ever so sweetly to Tiger.

"Hey there Sammy," he whispered back towards the snow leopard and got onto his knees. The jungle cat gently cupped her stomach within his paws and laid on a gentle kiss for the twins. Samantha let out a slight giggle of laughter as Tiger's wet nose and sweet lips tickled her stomach through the shirt. "You two be gentle on mommy now." He got back up to his feet and they headed in the door towards the living room. But Samantha paused midway and let out a surprised gasp.

"What's wrong?" Tiger thought something was the matter but his worry was soon replaced with relaxation as his wife reassured everything was alright.

"They both just kicked me." Her husband placed his paw onto her stomach like he did all those months ago and let out a small laugh as they walked in the doorway.

"What did I just say to the both of you?" he asked to the twins that were in the womb. Tiger and Samantha were ready for what was to come as their kids would come into the world.

X

The due date quickly arrived when the twins would be delivered from the maker.

The alarm clock inside the room that Tiger and Samantha shared went off at eight in the morning. It woke up the jungle cat, who instantly felt a bit nervous. He turned off the alarm, and rose up. Looking to his left he saw his beautiful angle sleeping on her side.

Tiger reached out with his right paw and began to stroke her grey hair. The snow leopard stirred as she woke and her husband kissed the side of her head. Samantha opened her eyes and looked to him.

'Good morning," whispered the jungle cat. "Today's the day." His wife began to get nervous herself. Her husband, seeing the worry on her face, squeezed her paws. "I won't let anything happen to you or the twins," he said. "I promise."

Tiger helped Samantha up so that they could get ready. The jungle cat then drove himself and his wife down to one of the hospitals in Teirm. When they got there the doctor and a few nurses were already there with a wheelchair, waiting for the soon to be parents.

They got Samantha on the chair and took her to the delivery room. Everything was ready for the doctor to begin. "How are you feeling?" he asked. He was a lynx, similar in color to Miyu, and had met with Tiger and the snow leopard beforehand to arrange the due date.

"Nervous and a little scared," she replied. "This is my first delivery Dr. Sam."

"I've done many deliveries; both regular and cutting," said the lynx. "You're in good paws."

Meanwhile, the ones who knew about the delivery had arrived at the hospital and were sitting or standing in the waiting room.

Back in the delivery room Dr. Sam was explaining how the process would happen. "I'll first insert a needle into your lower spine so you won't feel the pain when we cut your stomach open. We'll split it open like a book, reach inside for the twins, and remove them. While the kits are being cleaned, I'll sow you back up." Samantha nodded, and Tiger grabbed her left paw.

The needle was inserted, and within a couple of minutes, the snow leopard couldn't feel her lower body at all. A curtain was placed in front of her face so she didn't have to see the cutting. "We are now ready to begin," said Dr. Sam.

He lowered the scalpel he had grabbed from a table next to him and Tiger turned his head away from the sight. The jungle cat had seen weapons cut into species and seen blood, but there was something about doing it like this that just seemed wrong. Even though it was the only way.

Although it only took a couple of minutes to create a big enough opening, it seemed to last forever to Tiger and Samantha. Dr. Sam reached in and a couple of seconds later, the sounds of two cries could be heard. The jungle cat looked up to see the doctor holding two squirming kits; one in each paw. He had cut the umbilical cords quickly before removing them. They were a little bit smaller than the average born baby because they had been removed a bit earlier before they were fully developed. But they could survive with no problem outside the womb. They would do fine.

Samantha had tears of joy coming down her face when she heard the twins, and whipped them with a shaky paw. Her husband could make out some features of the kits, but not all. For one thing, he also had tears in his eyes, but also because the two babies were still covered in the birth placenta junk.

"It's a healthy boy and a healthy girl," said Dr. Sam as the nurses took the crying kits to clean them. In a few minutes, he had the hole he had made in Samantha closed.

The curtain was taken away from the snow leopard's face and she could see her son and daughter begin carried towards her by two nurses. Tiger stood by her side as the children were presented, wrapped up in cloths and wearing the cap. They weren't crying anymore, but seem to have a bit of a grumpy look on their faces.

At first, the two new parents were a bit surprise with how their children looked. In most cases, when two different species with similar DNA structures had offspring, the male would look like the mother, and the female would look like the father. But in some births, the male would look like the dad, and the daughter would look like the mother.

As the nurses handed Tiger's little girl to him, and Samantha's boy to her, they were able to see that it was one of those rare cases. The new baby boy was a tiger like his jungle cat dad, with orange fur, black stripes, and small bit of grey colored hair. If Tiger had married a white tiger like himself, then his son would have been white like his parents. But the jungle cat noticed that he had Samantha's blue eyes. He then looked to his daughter; a grey snow leopard like her mother. She had his eyes, his dark, brown hair, and no spots on her face.

A second latter, the two parents broke into smiles and looked to their new borns with wondrous expressions. The babies began to whimper a bit.

"Shh…" said Tiger to his daughter. "It's just daddy; it's okay."

"They're so beautiful," whispered Samantha. Her husband nodded.

"We'll have you stay for the day," said Dr. Sam as he washed his paws. "You can go home latter in the evening. If you need anything just hit the button by your bed and a nurse will come." He and the others than left the room.

The snow leopard mother than began to feed the twins; you could hear the sucking sounds. "So what should we call them?" asked the mother.

"We've got eight days to decide before their marked," said her husband with a smile as he took a seat next to her.

"But you must have some ideas."

"Well I've always liked the name Liru," said Tiger.

"Liru huh?" asked Samantha, and looked down to her daughter. "I think it's perfect for this one. I think our son should be called Kakashi."

"It's perfect," said the jungle cat. The two then went silent as they continued to observe the newborns feed, still hardly believing that they were parents. When the new borns were done, they both yawned and were quickly asleep.

A couple of minutes after that, the visitors came in; first the parents and then the friends.

"I can't believe I'm a grandparent," said Tiger's father when he saw the twins. A bit latter, the visitors were allowed to see the newborns; but only a few at a time. After Hui-Ying, Jazerc, Kralie, and Saria came Sig and Kivuli. Then it came time for the Star Flight team.

Nicholas came in with Fara, Luna, and Miyu. These four were the last to see the twins.

"Aw; they're so cute," said the she wolf. She had a happy expression on her face.

"Is it alright if I hold one?" asked the lynx.

"That might not be such a good idea," said the vulpine. "They look so peaceful right now. You shouldn't disturb them and wake up the babies. Besides, they'll be waking up their parents at odd hours of the night for quite a while. Tiger and Samantha should enjoy this peace and quiet while they still can."

"He's right," said the vixen. "I for one, know." Seeing the confused looks on the new parent's faces, Fara quickly explained to them about Grace.

While she was doing that, Nicholas was using his mind reading powers to look into the minds of the two kits. He smiled with what he sensed which was strong energy; indicating that they were Part Cerinians. "I think these two will become fine warriors for our people."

The visitors soon left after that. It would be interesting to see these two little ones grow up.


	29. Chapter 29

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 29: Return to Corneria

Eight days after they had been born, Kakashi and Liru Bie were marked and the male kit was circumcised, just like the law said. The process was something only lovers and parents could witness. But even if that wasn't the case, the Star Flight team wouldn't have been able to watch it because they were no longer on Eladard. They had left two days after the twins had been born.

Nicholas was in his room on the mother ship while it orbited Corneria. The vulpine was doing some thinking about what had happened when he had brought it up with his parents some time after the concert.

X

_In the past…._

"Must you leave again?" asked Linden.

"Yeah," said Nicholas. "I've just got this gut feeling that it's time for me and my team to head back to the Lylat System."

"When will you leave?" asked the vixen mother.

"After Tiger and Samantha's kits are born. She's getting closer to delivery."

"I see," said Linden.

"It's like Déjà vu all over again," said Vincent. "I remember when you first left Eladard. Well if you think you need to, then it's alright with us."

"Thanks dad," said his son.

A going away party was held for Star Flight by all of the family and friends. Everyone had then gathered to see the team take off except for Tiger and Samantha. The mother ship had then traveled to Corneria where the team decided to stay. They would use the next few days to visit friends and family.

X

_Back in the present…._

It had been the early evening when Star Flight had arrived, so the visiting would have to begin tomorrow. Nicholas then thought about some other things that had happened as of late.

The remaining seven's mind defending training was now complete. The vulpine felt pride flowing through his veins at the thought that he had trained all of the new members of the team, at least when it came to that. Fara had been his first student, and now he had six more under his belt. At this, he got up and went to a table in his room. He looked at the objects on top of it.

Most of them were framed pictures, but his racing tournament trophy and tournament medal were next to those. The vulpine then looked at the pictures. The first one was of him and his family. This included the aunts, uncles, cousins, and other members that made up the bloodline. This had been taken two weeks before the day were everything changed for Nicholas. The one that would make him leave Eladard for the first time.

Next to that was a picture of the team before the seven had joined. The fox knew that a new one would have to be taken sometime in the future. Next to that was of him and Fara during homecoming with them sitting on their thrones, both of them holding paws. Next was a picture of the vulpine and the vixen during prom. Although they hadn't been crowned king and queen, it had been a fun night. Especially since Nate and Natalie got together and so had Kyle and Erin with a kiss.

Next to the trophy and medal were two victory pictures. One had Nicholas and all those on his team who had raced, holding their trophies with huge grins. The other was the vulpine after his win for the tournament. The fox picked up the picture next to the prom one and before the victory ones.

This picture was of him, Fara, and Grace together on the sofa in the vixen's home. This had been taken a week before the kit had said her first word. The vulpine smiled as it looked like two parents with their daughter. He could only wonder how Fara's little sister looked now. It was a couple of weeks after her second birthday which was August 13th. She must be closed to walking by now and saying some other things.

Nicholas also thought back to the others who had watched him and Hui-Ying fight in the tournament when they had revealed their releases. The panda's boyfriend hadn't acted any different towards her. In fact, their relationship was stronger than ever. Maybe Hui-Ying revealing she had the Blood Lust release had been the right thing to do as a test for the pandas love. Nobody else seemed to treat her any different.

As for the vulpine, it was the same situation as Hui-Ying as everyone still enjoyed him. Maybe because he was an easy person to like who just got along well with others. As for his team, the members still respected him and looked up to the fox. Nicholas remembered that Fara's image had come into his mind when he stated that he didn't want some to see his release. The vulpine still couldn't figure out the reason why that had happened. But the vixen and Luna still acted the same around him. It made him happy, especially when it came to the vixen. But he hadn't been able to figure out why that was.

What the fox didn't know was the Fara and the she wolf had decided after seeing his release during the tournament that they still loved him despite of it.

X

The next day was visiting day for the families. The team had called before hand and the seven's parents were so happy that their daughter's were back on Corneria. The team split up with Bill going with Fay, Dash going with Yuki, Ben going with Lucy, Cody going with Nami, and Nicholas going with Fara. Miyu went along with the two foxes since she lived right next to the vixen's house. Luna had been jealous at first, but once the vulpine explained that he was going to Fara's house to mainly see Grace, the she wolf understood. But she still didn't like it.

At the vixen's home, Allen and Stephanie were with Grace in the living room, sitting on the floor.

"It's nice that Nicholas and Fara are back, huh Grace?" The vulpine dad asked to the kit that crawled to him with a happy smile.

"Daddy," she said. The sound of her voice thrilled Allen and Stephanie even more as her dad picked her up. She was putting more and more words together but was still just beginning, and would only say something every now and then. Talking wasn't continuous but in time it would be.

Grace seemed to be a natural in the ways of a baby. Being a little more than two by a couple of weeks she was already putting words and phrases together. With age and practice she would be talking before the two parent's amazement. She had started on walking but still was taking a few clumsy steps before falling back down to crawling. Stephanie cleared the area of their living room and laid down an extra soft and fuzzy small carpet, standing on the opposite side as her husband set Grace down on her two feet, holding her tiny paws as he bent over at the other side of the pink matting.

"Okay Grace let's give walking another try honey," said Allen. "Try walking to mommy." He tip-toed the tinniest of steps as Grace tried walking toward the vixen with the smallest of steps. But like all the other tries before the baby girl took only about four steps before falling over and crawling the rest of the way.

"Mommy," she said when she reached Stephanie.

"It's okay honey," said the older vixen. Allen wondered if maybe Fara and Nicholas could help with Grace's walking. He knew that when a kid had an older sibling, they tended to learn how to walk much faster.

A ring from the doorbell sounded. The vulpine and his wife instantly went to the door with Stephanie carrying their kit. The vulpine looked out the peep hole to see Nicholas and Fara standing outside. He opened the door with a smile.

"Hey Allen," said the younger vulpine.

"I'm back home dad," said his daughter. The older fox wrapped his arms around both of them and kissed his daughter on her check. The three then broke apart.

"Welcome back," said Allen. Stephanie then handed Grace to him and hugged the two young foxes. She gave both of them a kiss on the check while a couple tears of happiness came out of her eyes.

"It's so good to see you again," said the older vixen as the three came apart.

"It's nice to be back to," said Nicholas. His face lit up once he saw the baby kit he hadn't seen in so long. Fara's reaction was just like his. Grace spotted Nicholas and flailed around instantly as she reached out for the vulpine. "Gracey honey you're so big now," said Nicholas. Allen carefully let him hold the baby girl as the kit remembered this face all too well.

"Brother," Grace said with no trouble at all. Nicholas actually shed a tear. A guy tear, but still a tear. After all the time that had passed Grace hadn't forgotten about him.

"Ohhhh," the vulpine said quietly as he kissed the baby's forehead and bounced her around a bit. "I missed you too honey." He used his mind reading power to see that Grace also felt that way. The vulpine had read babies' minds before so this wasn't something new.

"Your sister Fara is also here," said Nicholas. The little vixen looked and saw her older sister. The vulpine handed the little one to the sibling.

"You've grown so much," said Fara. The kit looked up to the vixen.

"Sister Far," she said. Grace didn't have the ability to say her sister's name properly. But it was enough to make the vixen almost cry. Fara kissed her little sister's forehead and kept the baby close to her heart.

The foxes then went into the living room and sat on the couch. Grace crawled over to Nicholas and sat in his lap.

"So what brings you back to this part of the Lylat?" asked Allen.

"Pretty much a visit," said the younger vulpine. "It's been a year since we left, so I figured it was time for one." When he said this Fara's parents really got a look at their daughter. They saw that she had grown and was taller. The young vixen was now the same height as her mother.

"You've grown Fara," said Stephanie. The said vixen nodded.

"So what's been going on with you?" asked Allen. So for about the next couple of hours Nicholas and Fara spent the time talking about what had happened on Eladard. They even showed the two parents some of the pictures that had been taken. The two didn't say anything about Nicholas's powers or anything like that.

"Sounds like you two have had a good year," said Stephanie. The vixen had secretly loved the picture of Nicholas and Fara dancing at the wedding of Tiger and Samantha. She thought it looked so cute.

"So what's been happening here?" asked the young vulpine.

"Nothing too big," said Allen. "The only thing is Grace getting bigger." He suddenly got an idea. "Want to help me and Stephanie with something Nicholas and Fara? With you two here now I have no doubt Grace will be able to do it."

"Do what exactly?" asked his daughter. Allen came toward the two as he took Grace off of the vulpine lap.

"Want to see her take her first steps?" he asked.

"Sure," said Nicholas.

"Alright then go stand over there." Allen pointed to the spot where Stephanie had previously been posted as he went back to their original spot with the kit's mother. The vulpine dad turned the baby girl around in his arms as he had Grace look to him. "Alright Grace, walk to your brother and sister, okay?"

Allen got down in the squatting position as he placed his paws on the kit's sides and stood her up straight with Stephanie by his side. Nicholas bent forward, his arms extended as if reaching out for the baby girl.

"Walk to them Grace." Allen let the girl go as the said kit's paws were opening and closing with every step she took. None of them wouldn't have believed it if they hadn't seen it for themselves. Grace was walking towards Nicholas and Fara, slowly but surely as she hadn't even stumped over once.

"Keep going Grace," whispered Stephanie.

"You can do it," whispered Fara. Her smile was getting wider and wider as her little sister got closer

"Come on," said Nicholas with a huge grin on his muzzle. "You're close."

Grace probably without even being aware picked up the pace a little as she extended her arms out for the vulpine. Nicholas watched until the little kit found her way into his arms. He then swept the baby girl off her feet.

"Grace you can walk," said the vulpine and the said kit let out a laugh.

"Oh man she did it," said Fara and went over to the two to hug both of them.

"Thank you for letting us be a part of this," said Nicholas turning to the older foxes.

"Hey you both made it happen," said Allen. The young vulpine smiled back as the two parents were equally happy. "I'm glad I caught it on camera also." Allen looked back to the small black device as its flashing red light meant it was still recording. "It's Grace's first fully fledged steps and we got it on tape."

"That's good." Nicholas looked toward the baby girl as she was laughing with a playful remark. "You're a natural Grace." He gave back the young girl who suddenly let out a yawn. After such an accomplishment it was no wonder the kit was tired.

"Sounds like it's nap time for her," said Stephanie and took her daughter. The vixen soon had Grace down in her room before rejoining the others in the living room.

Sometime later, Fara and Nicholas left and met up with Miyu. The three then went back to the mother ship. Soon the rest of the team joined up with them. Each of the family visits had gone well.

X

The next day was the time to visit friends. They all decided to meet in the down town area of Corneria. The Star Flight team got there first. Five minutes later, Darcy, Josh, Dave, Kelly, Nate, Natalie, Kyle, and Erin came up to the large group. Nicholas spotted them.

"Hey, you guys made it!" he said. It was an emotional reunion as everyone hugged each other. After a bit, the group pulled apart. "It's good to see you again," said the vulpine.

"Likewise," said Darcy. Everyone then noticed the ones that had grown.

"Wow, you seven look different," said Josh.

"Well it's been a year since we last saw each other," said Nicholas. "You've also grown as well."

The group made their way to a restaurant for lunch. After getting seated and ordering their food, they began to talk about what had been happening. The college life for the friends was going well and they had all found something they wanted to do. Nicholas then noticed Kelly and Dave and was surprised to see the male coyote holding paws with the female mountain lion. The vulpine wondered why he hadn't noticed before.

Finally the talk turned to those two. "So what's been happening with you Dave?" asked the fox.

"Well I think the best thing is that I'm going out with Kelly now," said the coyote and all of the Star Flight team except their leader looked up to him in shock.

"It's true," said the mountain lion, and leaned her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. "We're really happy." Kelly was shorter than the average female mountain lion, only at 5'6, while the average was 5'9. Dave was at 6'0, so he was taller than her.

"When did it happen?" asked Yuki. "You two never showed an interest in each other during high school."

"We got together after the first four months of being in college," said Dave. "We found that we had a lot of things in common. One thing lead to another and then we hooked up."

"That makes all of you then," said Miyu. The food then arrived and the friends began to eat. They all had a great time that day.

X

A couple of days later found the Star Flight team back on the mother ship. Nicholas was wondering how to find a job for his team to do. The vulpine wasn't going to allow him and the others to just spend the days in orbit around Corneria.

His thoughts got interrupted when he was approached by Wire. "We've got an incoming message from Corneria," said the robot. "It's important that everyone gets to the main control and briefing room."

"Understood," said Nicholas. He went up with Wire and got everyone else, including Robert and Jazz assembled.

"Now let's see who's calling," said the vulpine after the team had gotten together. He answered the call. From the hologram projector in the middle of the room a head popped out. It was a male hound wearing a red military cap. On it was an emblem that was two wings. Everyone instantly knew who this was.

"Hey it's General Pepper," said Nicholas with a grin.

"General Pepper here," said the hound. "It's nice to see that you're back in the Lylat System."

"Of course," said the vulpine. "I told you that we would only be gone for a year." His teammates got confused at this. "I did it before I brought you in this room before leaving the system," he said. The fox then turned his head back to the general.

"So what can we do for you?"

"I have a mission for you," said General Pepper. "But I think it's time we met in person. After all you're team spent a lot of time defending the Lylat."

"Sounds good to me," said Nicholas.

"Then how about we meet tomorrow at the Corneria Military Base conference room at ten?"

"We'll be there."

"I look forward to this, especially since I can see that the team has grown." With that, the image turned off.

X

The next day the Star Flight team got up early and made their way down to the base. Only Bill and Lucy had been there before. When they got there, they found a guard standing outside waiting for them.

"Star Flight?" asked the guard when the group approached him. Nicholas nodded. "The conference room is straight ahead."

"Thank you," said the fox and the team made their way inside towards the room.

"Was getting here at 9:30 really necessary?" asked Miyu.

"It is since I want to make a first good impression," said the vulpine. "My family has a saying that goes like this; 'always early and never late.' It's not official, but we show up to things early so others don't have to wait for us or so that we can get to places or events with time to spare. It's a good habit to get into."

The entered the room and sat down at a table that was long and oval in shape. Ten minutes later General Pepper came in himself. The team stood up and saluted him.

"You here early," said the hound dog. "It's nice to see you again Star Flight." Nicholas and him shock paws.

"Of course general," said the vulpine. "Let me introduce the team members. I think you already know Bill, Dash, and Lucy here, right?"

"Yes," said Pepper. "I know Dash because of his parents since they fought in the Corneria Arms against Andross. I know Lucy to be the daughter of Peppy Hare. And yes I know Bill." The canine avoided the general's eyes as the hound looked to him. "Who are the others?"

"We've still got Katt Monroe," said Nicholas and the feline nodded. "In case you didn't know, she helped the Star Fox team during the Lylat Wars on Zoness, Macbeth, and Sector Z."

"Then there's my two friends from childhood Cody Otter and Ben Speedo; they're still a part of the team. Next is Amanda who comes from Aquas who's still one of us. Finally we have Fay Spaniel, Miyu Lynx, Luna McCay, Nami Sheika, Yuki Flower, and Fara Phoenix, the newest members of the team. And of course there's me."

"You actually got Allen's daughter on your crew?" asked Pepper. He knew what company that vulpine ran and knew that fox a bit.

"Yeah she wanted to come," said Nicholas and the general nodded

"It's nice to meet all of you," said the hound. "But aren't there suppose to be three robots? I saw them when I contacted you."

"Wire, Robert, and Jazz look after the mother ship while we do things like these. They can run the whole ship by themselves."

"I see," the general responded. "So I suppose you want to know what your mission is. My secretaries will give you all the details."

"I didn't know you had some," said Nicholas. "Who are they?"

The door opened and in the room came a female husky and lupine dressed in a professional manor carrying folders. The wolf was standing at 6'0 and seemed to be a bit powerfully built. The female canine was shorter than him and wasn't wearing high heels. She was wearing dress shoes that males wore. And the team could see that she had a slight bump; indicating pregnancy.

Nobody recognized the wolf, but the old Star Flight team recognized the husky. "Keira?!" asked the vulpine. She looked up and seeing who was in the room dropped the stuff she was caring. Bill eyebrows went up.

"Here let me take care of it," said the wolf as the husky began to bend down to pick up the folders. After getting them he saw that nobody had moved or said anything.

"What's the meaning of this?" asked General Pepper breaking the silence.

"B-Bill Grey?" asked Keira. The moment she spoke, the canine felt anger burst from inside himself. Fay looked from one to the other.

"You know her?" she asked. Instantly the collie could tell that she shouldn't have said that when Bill gave her a look. Fay could see different emotions in his eyes; pain, loss, and anger.

"Yes we-" began Keira but Bill cut her off.

"How dare you talk to me after the shit you said," he growled at her. Everyone was stunned by his words.

"Look, I'm sorry about that," said the husky and Bill let out a laugh, a harsh note in his voice.

"Oh so now you're sorry. Funny, the last time we spoke you said you didn't want to see me again."

"So you're still mad? asked Keira. "I don't blame you. But I really am. If I could take it back I would."

"Can someone explain what is going on here?" asked General Pepper. Nicholas then spoke up.

"Before Bill joined us he and Keira knew each other. They were in love but hadn't confessed it to each other." Fay felt a bit of jealousy going through her body after hearing that. "What happened was that I ruined it for them by asking Bill to be a part of the Star Flight team."

He then turned to her and the wolf. "However I can see that she's found someone else now. I see the wedding rings." The wolf nodded.

"Yes," he said. "She's my wife now. I should introduce myself. I am Fisk Red."

"Okay, I'm confused," said Fay. "What is the story?"

"I guess it's time to tell," said her leader.

"We don't have time for that," said General Pepper.

"General," said Nicholas. "I think myself, Keira, and Fisk need to tell what happened before they talk about this mission. I think it would be for the best." The vulpine than began. He knew everything that had happened before to Bill and what events occurred when he had proposed to the canine about joining Star Flight.

X

_In the past…_

It was just after the Lylat War had ended and Bill was sitting in a room at a base on Katina. Now that it was over, life had gotten pretty dull. The canine couldn't help but wonder what Fox and his team was doing now and what it was like to be in a group of mercenaries. To go on missions and otherwise not have to answer to anyone.

In truth, Bill wondered if he was really meant to be a leader. More than once the canine had couldn't help but think if he should have taken up on Fox's offer to join the Cornerian Flight Academy in their youth. True, he now had command of the Husky and Bulldog squadrons. But he felt that this job wasn't for him.

Bill's thoughts got interrupted when Keira entered the room. He looked to her and felt his heart beat increase. As usual she looked beautiful. The canine easily remembered the day when he'd first met her during his days at the academy when they were 15. They had become good friends and he had quickly fallen for her. The canine had talked with the other soldiers about his feelings for the husky. It wasn't unusual since the other males talked about other girls they liked. Bill hoped he could try to purse a relationship with her. But he couldn't find the courage to ask her out. Besides, he thought that someone like her wouldn't be into him. Little did he know that Keira also held feelings for him.

The husky, although she missed her old love that had moved to Titania when he was 18, had now fallen for Bill. She saw her ex boyfriend in this canine. Keira couldn't help but wonder why she couldn't get anything out of him; why he hadn't asked her out since she had been giving him signals. He must be that bad at reading her.

"Oh hey Keira," said Bill. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Yeah," she said, giving him a smile. It made her appear even more beautiful. "Listen, you'd better get outside, the visitors are almost here."

"Okay," said the canine. The base had been contact by a team called Star Flight. Their leader had said that he was looking for another pilot to join him. Already he had found three others.

Bill and Keira went outside with the rest of the soldiers already there. It was a mix of males and females of different dog breeds. General Pepper was also here as well standing at the front. Suddenly a mother ship came out from above some clouds. It then stopped and from its hull came some fighters. These ships landed on the ground near the large group and from them came pilots.

They walked over to the general and saluted him as a sign of respect. The pilots consisted of a snow monkey, a pink and white feline, a black river otter, a hare, a pink frog, and a fox with long yellow hair tied back in a ponytail.

"Welcome to Katina Star Flight," said the hound. "I am General Pepper; commander of all of the Cornerian forces."

"Nice to meet you," said the vulpine. "I'm Nicholas McCoy. This is my crew. May I present Cody Otter, Ben Speedo, Katt Monroe, Amanda, and Dash Bowman." The fox pointed to each as he said their name. The hound knew a bit about the feline. The Star Fox team had told him that she had helped them during the Lylat War. As for Dash, General Pepper knew him because of his parents. He was also one of the few who knew about the snow monkey's connection to Andross.

"This looks like a good team," said the hound. "It's also nice to see that you've grown a lot Dash."

"Thank you sir," he said.

"You really are your parent's son." General Pepper then turned to Nicholas. "So I know you've come here to get another pilot, right?" The vulpine nodded.

"I would like to see the commanding officers here," said the fox. Bill and a few others stepped forward. Nicholas looked and when he saw the canine, his face broke into a smile and pointed at Bill.

"He's the one I would like to recruit." Everyone else except the team began to whisper.

"No," said Keira softly.

"I can't allow that," said General Pepper. "Bill is in charge of the Husky and Bulldog squadrons. He can't just be taken."

"Are you sure you want me?" asked Bill. He felt shock going through his body.

"Yes," said Nicholas. "I know you're an ace pilot and you helped in the Lylat War. We need someone like you. But I'm not forcing you to join us. I can choose someone else if I need to."

The canine went silent. Here was an opportunity to get away from it all. Here was a chance to be like Fox in a group of mercenaries. Here was something that he wanted to do. The more he thought about it, the more sure of it he was.

"What do you say?" asked the vulpine and Bill looked up.

"I'll take that offer," he said. Everyone started to talk. But Keira just gasped as she felt tears come to her eyes.

"Bill, think about what you're doing," said General Pepper. The canine turned towards the hound.

"I am. In truth I've been thinking that being a leader isn't meant for me. I want to be like my friend Fox McCloud. I want to be in a group like this and travel the galaxy. That is what my heart is telling me to do." Keira heard this and felt anger at him. Bill continued.

"I've also talked with my second in command before in case something like this happens. He can take my place; he'll be able to handle the job."

"I see," said General Pepper. "I can see that nothing I say will change your mind. Then I guess you have my support to go with Star Flight."

"Thank you sir," said Bill.

"Then I'll give you time to pack and say goodbye to everyone," said Nicholas. "I think two hours should be enough. We'll be waiting for you right here."

X

The soldiers then broke up and went back inside the base. Bill wasted no time in packing up his things and saying goodbye to his friends. He wished the second in command good luck and gave him the commander's pin that he had been wearing. He was just about to leave his room after giving it one last look over when he spotted Keira looking at him from the doorway.

"Oh, Keira," said Bill. Her face startled him since it looked blank.

"Hey," she said. "So you're really going to do this?"

"Yes. This is something I want to do." The canine looked back down at his stuff. The husky then spoke up.

"Bill, could I please have a word with you, in private?" He immediately looked up and could see the sadness in her eyes; it was heartbreaking to look at.

"Of course." Bill immediately stood up; he sounded saddened.

"Over there please," Keira pointed to an empty room across from his. The two canines slowly started walking towards the area. As they did so over, the female husky was ahead of Bill and had her back facing him, not even wanting to make eye contact. They entered and Keira went to the table, while Bill stayed near the doorway.

Neither spook for the first few moments, so Bill figured he would start up the talk.

"What is it that you wanted to talk about?" Keira slowly turned to face Bill. He seemed worried about her, about what she wanted to say. When the canine saw the husky's face, he could see the sadness in her expression. Bill almost wanted to turn back now, and spare her the heart ache. Keira took in a big breath, and let it out, turning into a sigh. She looked up to him; this was hard for her, for the both of them. It was agonizingly painful.

"This, is hard for me to say, but…" Bill cut her off.

"You don't like the fact that I've chosen to go with Star Flight, do you?" Her eyes widened and she let out a small gasp.

"So you knew then?"

"Not exactly, but when you wanted to talk, I figured this is what you wanted to talk about. I'm not a mind reader Keira, but I can read body figures." The husky looked away from him, looking down to her left towards the table. Bill let out a small sigh, and continued onward.

"And so what? You want me not to do so? So _we_ can be together?" He seemed angry at her, she couldn't believe how this was playing out. Keira saw it so much differently in her mind.

"Yes…" The husky was still looking down to the ground; tears were starting to form in the corner of her eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that." He then looked to the ground. She immediately looked furious at him.

"What do you mean, you _can't_ do that?"

"I mean, I _can't_ do that! I don't _want_ to do that is probably a better way to point it out!" They were meeting each other's eyes, though it wasn't a happy sight, not even close.

"Are you blinded so much that you can't tell this is what I'd rather do with my life?!" Bill's voice was barely short of a yell. She instead replaced his question, with one of her own.

"So…that's it? That's the end of your leadership and us? You're not going to change anything?!"

"There was never an _us._" Bill paused for a moment. "Why should I?!"

"Why should you?!" Keira yelled out. "I know from what I've overheard from the other soldiers that you wanted to ask me out! But you never did." She paused for a moment, disgusted with Bill. "So you're saying in a matter of hours, you forgotten about me? What kind of man are you?!" she told back in a cold voice. It took Bill a moment to recover from that.

"I'm a man, who found the job that will make him happy." Bill turned away from her, then continued, it was hard for him just as much as it was for Keira, he sounded strong, but he was starting to buckle to his emotions on the inside. "And staying in the army, _isn't_ it or being with you." The female husky fell to her knees, that blow was heart crushing. She started to silently weep to herself. Bill was beginning to walk out of the room before she called out to him in an angry tone.

"I thought you loved me! I thought we were to be together. I loved you!" The canine stopped in place, this wasn't the best way to end it with his former love. He walked pack and took a knee next to her, trying to put a comforting paw on her shoulder. But she swatted it away.

"Get your paws off of me!" Keira yelled out in anger. Bill immediately jumped up, away from her, surprised by her action. She slowly got up, and looked up to him, tears were strolling down her eyes, and she had the expression of anger deep within her eyes. She yelled out in pure rage.

"Just get out and leave! Go and be happy with what you've chosen Bill Grey! I don't want to see you ever again!"

"Fine!" shouted the canine back at her and stormed out of the room.

X

_Back in the present…_

Nicholas went silent for a moment. He then spoke up. "After that, Bill joined our team becoming the last one until the ones from Rocket High became team members. We then spent the next year doing what we eventually became famous for." The vulpine then let out a sigh.

"This separation really affected Bill. I could easily tell. This made him not want to find another relationship. That's why when girls at the high school asked him the going out question, he turned them down."

"_But he asked me to dances,_" thought Fay. "_Oh Bill. I didn't know what happened. I feel so bad for you._"

"However, I think that he's managed to get over it slowly with time," said the vulpine. "After all, he's asked a certain one of our team members to dances. I won't say who since I'm sure it's obvious."

"We then spent the next year at Rocket High. Then we choose these seven girls and then went to my home planet. And then we came back. That's the whole story." Everyone then went silent. The vulpine could tell that Bill had anger going through his veins. The husky in the room then spoke up.

"Bill," Keira began. "I know after what happened that seeing me with Fisk must be a blow to your morale, but a lot of things happened in the last few years. But still this goes back a little farther. Before we met I met him and after a while, we fell in love and began seeing each other. He would have graduated the academy if he didn't have to move as a result of his father's work."

"Then I met you, what happened, and… what I said." The female canine went silent.

"I see," Nicholas said. "But how did you and Fisk meet up again?" The female husky let out a sigh.

"That's a chapter of my life that I never want to remember, but unless I tell now a lot of stuff won't make sense."

X

_In the past…_

Six months had passed since Bill left the Cornerian Army to be with Star Flight and Keira was a wreck in many ways. Currently she was sitting in a bar in Corneria City late in the evening and as had been the usual for the female husky these last few months, she was getting drunk. Normally she would have to be 21, but she looked old enough to get in. The female husky had made a cleaver fake id and it worked.

After Bill left her she had been heartbroken. Keira had temporarily withdrawn from the army and had turned to the only freely available material thing that she thought could help her; alcohol. Now six months since those events the husky was still an emotional wreck.

"Hey barkeep," she said, obviously drunk. "Get me another drink."

"I think you've had enough, and your tab is well past due." Keira raised her head to complain more when a glass ashtray nearly hit her in the head. She turned to see a female tiger and a female monkey arguing.

"The fuck is your problem?!" she shouted and started towards them. Within moments there was a bar fight between the three.

X

Meanwhile a lone wolf was out for a late evening drive to help clear his head. It had been three years since he saw Keira and had long since given up trying to find her again. Fisk had had nothing more than short flings or single dates. Now he was back on Corneria. Sighing the lupine parked his car outside of a bar he had been approaching. Fisk got out and entered the building hoping to find someone or something interesting inside. He was 21, so there wasn't any need for a fake id.

When he entered, the lupine got quite a shock as a beer bottle exploded on the wall just next to his face. A bar fight was in progress and everyone in the bar was keeping their distance from the three brawling females. A lucky punch from the tiger knocked the husky in the fight to her back, leaving her unconscious. Trying to be kind, Fisk went over to the unconscious canine. When he realized who it was he gasped.

"Keira Sage!" Although she was quite a bit older Fisk recognized her. When he looked up he saw that the barkeep, a Doberman, was about to dial the phone. Moving quickly the lupine asked, "What are you doing?"

"Calling the police," the canine barkeep replied. "Those three have caused me too much trouble."

"Please let the husky go, I'll take care of her."

"Sorry, but Keira owes me 1587 credits for the last two months she spent in here and her tab is long past due." Hearing this Fisk quickly reached for his wallet and pulled out his credit card and a credit disk. He quickly transferred 2100 credits onto the disk and handed it to the barkeep.

"That should cover her tab; the extra is for you to keep quiet. I'll take her to my house for the night," Fisk said.

"Fine, just make sure if she comes here again, she doesn't cause this much trouble." The lupine nodded and went back over to the unconscious Keira. He easily picked her up and took her to his car. The wolf managed to get the husky into the back and strap her in before getting in the front and driving back to his apartment. On the way he noticed the scent of alcohol coming from Keira; he began to realize just what the barkeep had meant by two months. Fisk wondered why she was even out here and not with the Cornerian Army. The wolf hoped he would get some answers in the morning when she woke up.

X

Keira stirred into wakefulness with a massive headache, not to mention the other pain from the fight.

"_Oh the justice of a hangover,_" she thought, wondering where she was. The husky opened her eyes and immediately noticed one thing, under the sheets of the bed she was in she was only wearing her undergarments. A million thoughts, none of them nice, went through the husky's head in that instant but a voice from the door brought her back to reality.

"So you're finally awake." Keira turned to see Fisk standing in the doorway; he was wearing a blue unmarked t-shirt and jeans. The husky blinked, and then rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.

"F-Fisk Red! I can't believe it, I thought you weren't on Corneria!" The lupine gave her a wide grin.

"Yes I'm back. I arrived a week ago. So how are you doing?" Keira suddenly remembered that she was almost naked underneath the sheets.

"Umm…I'm fine. I was drunk last night… We didn't…" she blushed, her voice trailing off. The lupine shock his head.

"No Keira, you were knocked out in a bar fight and I paid off your tab, plus a little extra, to keep the barkeep from reporting you to the police and I brought you back here. I let you use my bed and I slept on my couch. I took you're clothes to get washed and I put them in the dryer some time ago; they should be done in a few minutes." Fisk sat down in a wooden chair next to the bed, "So maybe we should do some catching up. You first, what have you been up to all this time?" The husky hesitated, but then began her tale. But when she reached the part about Bill, Keira's face changed and started to cry. Fisk wrapped his arms around her for comfort. After a bit, the husky stopped and continued.

"He left me to join Star Flight, breaking my heart." The husky's eyes clouded up again. "I've been a wreck for these last six months. Thanks for helping me Fisk, sorry to be a trouble to you. So how have you been?" The lupine sighed; he understood why Keira was so depressed now.

"My life hasn't been that eventful. After moving I've just drifted between jobs and dates since then. I finally managed to get back to Corneria." He sighed again then stood up, "I better go check on your clothes they should be dry by now. I'll be gone for a couple of minutes so just stay there until I get back."

Fisk left and Keira was once again alone in his room. She reflected on what he had said to her. After Fisk had left the husky had never even tried to look for him when she got old enough. As she lay back waiting for the lupine to return a crazy idea popped into her head. She thought about it for a bit then decided she would go for it. By this time Fisk returned carrying her clothes. He set them on the chair he had been sitting in earlier.

"Get dressed and meet me in the living room, I'll have some food ready by then." The lupine left and Keira got out of the bed and proceeded to get dressed.

What qualified as brunch with the wolf was quite simple, just some pot noodles and orange juice. They ate in silence at the table in Fisk's apartment's living room. When they finished Keira helped him with the brunch and the previous day's dishes. While he was washing and she was drying and putting away the dishes the husky decided to pitch her crazy idea to him.

"Hey Fisk," she said.

"Yes Keira?"

"Want to join the Cornerian Army?" The lupine almost dropped the plate he was passing to her but the husky took it before he dropped it. Pausing for a moment Fisk stared at her.

"What?"

"Do you want to join the Cornerian Army? You can wait until we're done with these dishes to answer." The lupine was silent as they finished cleaning and putting away the dishes. When they were finished, they sat down on the couch and Keira explained to him why she was asking.

"I've been emotional wreck for these last six months since Bill left, and now I guess I've finally realized that being a drunkard isn't solving anything. If it wasn't for you I'd probably be in jail now. Maybe it's time to go back to the army again and get my life moving. I just wanted to know if you'd be willing to help me." Fisk thought on this for a moment before finally saying.

"Alright, but you have to do something for me first."

"What?" The wolf held up his index, middle, and ring fingers.

"Three dates, I want you to go on three dates with me, tomorrow and both days after that. After that tell me how you feel about me and that will ultimately affect my decision." Keira was surprised by this but she quickly agreed to the condition, agreeing that the lupine would pick her up at her apartment on all three dates. Shortly thereafter, the husky departed so she could prepare for the next three nights. Fisk watched her leave through his apartment window thinking to himself.

"_Keira, I wonder if any of your old feelings for me are left._" He sat down, thinking things over.

"_Keira, I've tried to forget you but part of me won't let you go, I just hope that these next three days will spark something. Now that I've met you again I don't know if I can go on without you._" The lupine decided to drive downtown to get something new to wear for the date.

X

The next night Fisk drove up to Keira's apartment building. He wore a dress shirt and jacket as well as dress pants with a matching tie. He had arrived a little early so as not to be late so the lupine waited until the female husky came out of the building. He couldn't help but think that she looked beautiful; Keira was wearing a light blue dress that went down to her ankles and high-heeled shoes in the same color. She thought that the wolf looked so handsome when she saw him. Just as he had been when they had been dating. Being a gentleman Fisk got out and opened the door for her.

"So where are we going tonight?" Keira asked.

"I managed to get us reservations at Chez Song."

The husky blinked as the wolf began to drive. That restaurant was high class. She thought that maybe Fisk was taking this more seriously than she thought. The night was fairly uneventful at the restaurant as the two talked some more. After the meal Fisk picked up the check, left quite a tip for their waiter, and drove Keira home. Before getting out she turned to the wolf.

"Thanks for dinner, Fisk. So what are we doing tomorrow?"

"I was thinking a movie tomorrow night. I'll see you then Keira." The lupine drove back to his house. The husky watched him drive off; both of them had a smile creeping across their faces. He knew that Keira had enjoyed herself so there was hope for him after all.

Meanwhile the husky was doing some thinking. While she was getting ready to sleep, the husky realized that she was actually happy for the first time since Bill left.

"_Thanks for helping me out Fisk_," she thought. "I_'m glad I got to see you again._" Shortly thereafter she went to bed, and fell asleep, her dreams for once not haunted by Bill's departure but filled with thoughts of Fisk.

X

The next day the lupine chose to walk to the husky's apartment to pick her up and to walk to the movie theatre; both were dressed casually. It took them some time to choose what to see but Keira finally chose a romantic movie. During the movie Fisk removed the armrest between his and her seat and put his right arm around the husky and held her close. At this Keira found herself involuntarily snuggling up next to him, his fur giving her a warm feeling, both in her body and her heart.

After the movie, Fisk walked the husky all the way up to her apartment. At the door Keira paused and took his paws.

"Thanks for the date," she said, "I really enjoyed it."

"I'm glad you did," said the lupine with a grin. "So shall I choose what we do next or do you have an idea?"

"Yes. How about I pick you up tomorrow for a picnic?"

"It sounds good," said Fisk. Before he could say goodnight, Keira gave him a quick kiss on his cheek and turned inside her apartment, closing the door behind her.

Both of them were dumbstruck by this action and as the wolf walked back to his house, he was given time to reflect on the husky, not just these last two days but their relationship some years ago.

For some reason that kiss seemed to open a sluice gate from his memories. Fisk could remember everything about his previous relationship with Keira; the dates, the flirting, how much he had cared for her, and last but not least how devastated he'd been when he had to move. Now the lupine wanted to tell her even more how he felt.

Meanwhile Keira was in the same situation as the lupine. She then realized what her heart was telling her.

"Maybe it's time I forgot about Bill completely and started over again." She spoke to no one but herself. "But this time, I won't make the same mistake I made with him."

X

It was late in the morning when the husky arrived to pick up the wolf; she had traveled on foot and was wearing a backpack with the blanket and food for the picnic in it. Keira was wearing a sky blue skirt and t-shirt today and as she watched Fisk coming out, she saw that he was wearing a white t-shirt and grey shorts. The wolf went over to the canine.

"So, Keira, shall we?" he asked.

"Yes, let's," she replied and the set off on foot for one of the parks inside Corneria City; the same one that Star Flight would eventually go to during the first Christmas they had shared with the seven. The walk was mostly uneventful until Keira tripped and almost fell, until Fisk caught her. The husky blushed.

"Maybe I should carry that backpack now, you've been carrying it the whole time," said the lupine. He lifted the pack from the canine's shoulders and took it upon his own; for the rest of the walk she held his left paw in her right.

When they arrived at the park, which was mostly empty, they set up the blanket and took the food out form the backpack. There were ham and cheese sandwiches, a vegetable salad, and two slices of leftover apple pie that had been in Keira's fridge. Though the picnic proceeded fairly well, the two didn't noticed the storm clouds gathering in the sky. While they were both eating, they spoke some, but mostly were deep in thought. Fisk was wondering if Keira was harboring the same feeling for him that he had for her. The husky was considering what the future held for her along with the personal question from the previous night, about how she was going to precede with Fisk after this.

While they were both lost in thought they both absentmindedly reached for the last sandwich in the bag and, as could be expected, their paws met. Fisk noticed this first and withdrew his paw.

"You have it Keira," he said, his face reddening somewhat. The husky noticed this and blushed as she ate the last sandwich.

_"I can't believe this, I'm 18 and I'm acting like a 13 year old girl on her first date, with the hottest guy in her class,"_ thought Keira. She was about to say something when a drop of water hit her left ear.

"_Oh no,_" she thought looking skywards noticing for the first time the thick cloud cover. "_I should have checked the weather before today._"

"Fisk, we better get moving, it's going to start raining hard." Even as the female canine said this, the rain began falling faster. The lupine noticed and helped her pack up the remaining food, which was just the uneaten pieces of pie, and he hoisted the backpack over his shoulders. They had barely gone 20 steps when the clouds opened up and the rain came down in a massive downpour. Both of them ran for a short way until they realized that there was little reason to, as they were already soaking wet. As they walked back in the direction of the lupine's place since it was the closest, Fisk noticed that Keira looked as though she was crying.

"Keira is something wrong?" he asked.

"I'm sorry I didn't see this coming. I should have checked the weather this morning so this wouldn't happen." The wolf stopped and took her paws.

"Hey it's alright; these things happen so don't worry about it." The husky smiled and blinked away the tears that had begun to form in her eyes.

"Thanks Fisk."

"Yeah," said the lupine. "It's been our third date. Do you remember what I said about doing after that?" Keira nodded.

"Well I've decided that you don't have to say anything since I'll just show you how I feel about you." Before the female canine could respond Fisk pulled her close to him in a full embrace and kissed her passionately on the lips. She was amazed and at first too stunned to do anything but stand there, but she melted back into a return kiss with him, putting her paws on the back of his head as she couldn't put them around his back while he was wearing the backpack. They stood there in the rain with their lips pressed together for almost a minute before they broke apart. The husky's eyes seemed to twinkle in the rain as she stared into his eyes.

"Keira, I love you. Please promise you'll stay with me from now on." She didn't need to say anything; she just cried tears of happiness and Fisk understood. "Come on, we'd better get inside before we catch colds." The wolf put his arm around her shoulders as they walked the rest of the way.

X

Several minutes later, Keira sat on the couch in the living area of the lupine's apartment wrapped in a blanket to warm up. Her fur was messy as she had dried herself with a towel and had not bothered to clean up otherwise; she was only wearing her panties and bra, which she had dried quickly beforehand while her own clothes dried in the building's laundry room. Fisk came in only wearing his boxers and drying his head with a towel. He put the towel down and sat on the husky's left, who blushed as she saw that he had muscles and that she was barely clothed. The wolf smiled when he noticed this.

"So," Keira said. "What you said back there…"

"I meant every word," the lupine said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. The female canine blushed and he leaned back, putting his arm around her.

"After you gave me that kiss yesterday, all of my memories of you came flooding back. I remembered everything about our previous relationship." The wolf turned to look at the downpour outside the apartment building.

"So shall we both go back to the army?" she asked.

"Yes. I know that you kissed me back so I know how you feel. But I want to hear you say it out loud."

Keira smiled at him and brought her muzzle close to his.

"I love you Fisk and I never want to leave you." With that the two closed the distance between each other with their lips.

X

The husky spent the night with the lupine and the next day she moved out of her apartment and into his place. The female canine and the wolf agreed to share the same room and a bed; it was as though the years they had been apart had never happened.

For her part, Keira was perfectly happy with her life for the first time since Bill left her; she was in love again and was ready to start out again in the army. Fisk was also very happy. He had once again found Keira, the only woman he had ever loved, and was ready to start out anew.

The two then made their way to the Cornerian Military Base. The guard there just nodded as they entered.

"Is it just me, or has the security gone to hell since I've left?" asked Fisk.

"He's probably still not fully awake," said Keira. "It's early morning after all." The two made their way towards the place where new recruits go to sign up.

They got the wolf in with no trouble and the two made their way were all the army members assembled. The female husky got into her outfit and so did the lupine.

"Man do I look cool as hell," said Fisk as he took a look at himself in a nearby mirror.

"You forgot to mention handsome," said Keira and gave his paw a gentle squeeze.

"Hey I thought I recognized you Keira," said a voice. The two turned around to see a male bulldog. "It's nice to see you back since you left to go to Katina and join the squads there."

"Yeah James," she said. He then got a look at the wolf and his eyebrows went up.

"Fisk?" he asked, hardly believing it. The lupine just stared at him. These two had been childhood friends so they knew each other well.

"James?" asked Fisk. The bulldog then broke out with a smile.

"It is you Fisk Red! Holy Shit! Look at you now!" The two met in a guy hug.

"It's good to see you again," said the lupine as the two broke it off.

"Man it's been forever," said James. "We've got to catch up. God the commander is going to be ecstatic when he sees you." The commander had helped train the bulldog and Fisk.

"I'm sure he will be," said Keira. The three then made their way to the briefing room.

X

Some days later the parents of the husky were meeting their daughter who told them she had some good news. She didn't say what it was; only saying it was a surprise. The gathering took place at a cafe.

The two older canines were waiting right now. "Keira sounds like she doing much better," said Mr. Sage.

"Yes," said her mother. "I remember how it was when Bill left. That was a really dark time for her." They suddenly noticed her coming up with a wolf. The two were able to recognize Fisk even though they hadn't seen him for a few years. To their surprise the two were holding paws.

"Hey there," said their daughter. The wolf just smiled.

"It's been some time," he said. "You look well." Mr. Sage spoke up after a bit.

"Yes it has Fisk. So you're dating him Keira?"

"Yes I am." The two parents were stunned; their daughter's cheerful response was something they had not heard in awhile. But seeing her happy again filled they with happiness. The way she was holding Fisk's paw made the two older canines realize just how close they had become since they had met again. The two parents couldn't help but smile.

After talking some, Keira's father took his daughter to the side away from Fisk and her mother to talk things over with him.

"So I see you've found Fisk again and I can tell by the way you two are acting that you've fallen in love all over again, is that true?"

"Yes it is, father." His daughter sighed, despite the wolf being true to her in the past her father had never really approved of their relationship feeling that she was too young for him even though it was only a three year difference in age. Keira hoped that her father's opinion of the lupine would change; her mother was of a different opinion and she had been more disappointed when he had moved off of Corneria.

"I see nothing I say will change that." Mr. Sage put his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Then I guess you two have my blessing." The female canine was momentarily speechless.

"Do you mean it, dad?"

"Of course, I see that there is no way you two will want to leave each other. Besides, you're our only child, and your mother and I aren't getting any younger, we aren't trying to hurry you along but we would like some grandchildren before we pass on, and your clock is slowly ticking, so please, just try to settle down with him at some point before it's too late for any of us." The elder husky's words touched his daughter.

"Don't worry daddy," she replied. "I won't let Fisk go, now that I've found him again."

X

_Back in the present..._

"For the next three years we flew missions for the army. After that Fisk proposed to me with an emerald ring that he had bought with the money he had been saving since those missions began. My father was happy and my mother was ecstatic," Keira said. Her husband took over for her.

"It was during that time that General Pepper offered us the position to be his secretaries. We accepted since it was better pay. We invited him to our wedding and he came to our surprise. I would have invited you Bill but I had no clue where you were and I didn't think you would either want to see Keira again or that you would appreciate that gesture. Besides, it might have made her upset. Four months later we found out that Keira was pregnant. And seven months later, here we are, that's the whole story."

Bill had said nothing the entire time. When Keira and Fisk were done talking, he stormed out of the room with anger coursing through his veins. The husky noticed and was about to go after him but stopped, until her husband put a paw on her shoulder.

"Go after him, he needs to be comforted." Fisk smiled, "Don't worry, I don't mind; just calm him down." Keira nodded then went after Bill leaving everyone else.

Fay meanwhile hoped that the female husky could help Bill. The collie wanted the guy she loved, not this angry canine.

Bill was trying his hardest not to blowup, but it was getting hard when Keira came up behind him. Hearing her, he stopped walking and responded with some contempt in his voice.

"Keira, shouldn't you be with your husband? You found happiness so easily after what happened."

"Bill," said Keira. "It's not that simple. I was alone and Fisk helped me out of my depression. You chose to leave me for a different career. You broke my heart and he helped me pick up the pieces and reassemble it. Also Fisk was and always will be my first love, just as I was his, and you know what they say about your first love. You'll never love someone the same way again. After that second date all my memories of him came rushing back and I regained the love I thought I'd lost."

"So why'd you come to talk to me, after what you said?!" Bill's voice was laced with anger as he quickly turned to the female husky.

"You have every right to be mad," she said. "Please you must understand. I'm sorry about that. I just can't forget all that's happened in the last few years." Keira looked down towards the ground before looking back up.

"Bill, don't take this the wrong way but while I care about you, I'm not in love with you anymore." The canine was visibly shocked but the husky continued. "I know what I said was wrong of me. I should have respected your choice. When I saw you again I was shocked to see you after all this time. And I was worried that my old feelings for you were going to flare up again, but I didn't feel anything beyond some sympathy and concern for you." Bill nodded.

"I understand," he said. "We've both changed a lot in these last few years. And now after listening to you, it feels like some great weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I guess I can't stay mad at you."

Keira smiled and held out her paw. "So are we on good terms?"

"Yes," said Bill and the two canines shock on it. When it was finished he asked a question. "So you're pregnant, huh?"

"Yeah," said the husky and looked down with some blush. "Me and Fisk are excited for our first pup."

"I'm sure you'll do fine," said the canine. The two walked back into the room.

"I take it that you made up," said General Pepper. The canines nodded and took their appropriate spots with Bill next to Fay and Keira next to Fisk.

"Now let's tell Star Flight what their mission is," said the hound.


	30. Chapter 30

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 30: First Mission and Love

"So what exactly do you want us to do?" asked Nicholas.

"Two days ago a Cornerian squadron had a fight with some space pirates on Titania," said General Pepper. "It was near one of the ruins. We then discovered that one of the downed ships from the enemy has an energy core that contains vital information. We need that to figure out what they're up to."

"I don't get why it's important," said the vulpine. "Aren't these just regular ones?"

"They're lead by none other than the infamous Chase Young." Everyone except the seven knew who this guy was.

"Then that's definitely not good," said Nicholas.

"Who is this person exactly?" asked Lucy.

"A scumbag of the worst kind," said Ben. "Him and our team have clashed a few times in the past."

"And now he's back," said Cody.

"We won't let him get away whatever he's planning," said Katt.

"But hasn't his gang retrieved this core?" asked Miyu. "I would if I were them so my enemies won't get info on what I was doing."

"That's because they're guarding it," said General Pepper. "They want to see if someone will come after it. Probably to kill so they can get things to sell on the black market."

"So where is this core now?" asked Nicholas. Fisk then opened up his folder and brought out a projection disk. He turned it on to show a ruined base surrounded by ships.

"The downed ship is located at one of the ruins on the south side of the planet," explained the lupine. "As you can see, it's easy to protect from all angles. And you can also see that we managed to get some images of the enemies' vehicles."

"It may seem tough, but I know you can do this," said General Pepper. "Especially since there are no squadrons that can do this job right now. How you get the enemy core is up to you. As soon as we have it, the payment will automatically be transferred to your account."

"Sounds good then," said Nicholas. "When should we leave?"

"Tomorrow as soon as possible," said the hound. He then checked his watch. "It's almost time for lunch. You can use the time until then however you want. I've got other things to take care of. It was nice to meet all of you." With that General Pepper walked out of the room.

The team then decided to split up. Bill, Nicholas, Fisk, and Keira decided to eat while catching up. The others decided to see their families again.

X

A bit latter, those four were sitting at a restaurant just eating and talking. Nicholas did a little but let Bill do most of it. The canine pretty much talked about what he'd been up to with the missions, how he helped win the racing tournament, and other things like that.

"That sounds like you've had quite a time," said Fisk. His wife then spoke up.

"I know it's not my business but have you found someone special now?" Bill blushed red and began to fiddle with his fingers nervously. Seeing this, Keira quickly spoke. "Sorry, I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that. Because if there isn't-"

"No, you're right," said the canine and took a deep breath. "It's just like you said. I've found someone else. That person is my teammate, Fay. I love her."

Nobody said anything for a bit until Nicholas spoke up. "So when will you tell her?"

"You don't mind?" asked Bill.

"Of course not," said the vulpine with a grin. "I think you two will be lucky to have each other. It doesn't matter to me. If you want to have a relationship with Fay, then you should. So how did it happen?"

"Well at first I didn't think of her when I saw her," said the canine. "Mainly because of what happened to me with Keira. It wasn't until her prom that I thought she looked like the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. Then during the dinner we shared I realized that I really liked her in a romantic way. Everything about her and what she did made me happy. It started from the moment I first laid eyes on her. I just hadn't realized it until that night with all those things that made me happy turning into feelings for her for a year. Very quickly after that discovery, it turned to love."

"That sounds wonderful Bill," said Keira.

"However I don't feel ready to tell her yet for a few reasons," said the canine. "For one thing, I don't what to rush and make a mistake. I want to take this nice and slow, no matter how painful it is. The time could also be used to get to know her even better. But I'm also afraid that she won't have the same feelings as me."

"Why's that?" asked Fisk.

"She's our team's mechanic, so she's obviously smarter than me. If she wants a guy like that instead of me, then I will allow her to find one."

"I see," said Nicholas. "It's probably a good idea to get to know her better since you've only known her for a little over three years. There's probably a lot you still don't know about Fay. But don't fuck it up with her. As your team leader, I forbid it."

"I won't," said Bill. "I will protect her, even with my life."

"Sounds good," said the vulpine. The four then promised that this talk would only be amongst themselves. All too soon the group went their separate ways.

X

The next day, the mother ship of Star Flight was approaching Titania. The team was in the main control and briefing room.

"Okay then," said Nicholas. "I've been thinking of how we'll get this job finished. We're going to split up. Four of us will get in the X-Strikers and the rest will cover them in the ships since our best bet is to attack from the sky and ground. They out number us. We can only prevail if we work as a team. But I know we can do this." He then turned to Miyu. "Care to make some noise Miyu?" he asked.

"If you're saying that I should get in the tank then I'll do so," she said with a grin.

"Good. I'll have two others from the old team along with one of the new team mates go with you. How about it Bill, Fay, and Amanda? Care to help her?" All three of them agreed. "Then I'll have Miyu be the one in charge of the group."

"Me?!" asked the lynx in shock. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," said the vulpine. "Think of it as a way to start proving yourself. The rest of us will take care of the ships above. You guys in the tanks can help us out sometimes in the air. The targeting system of the ground vehicles can get flying objects in the air. Remember, get to that energy core. Once you have it, we'll get out of there."

Fara hadn't said anything the entire time.

"Let's get going," said Nicholas. He and the others except the robots got up from their seats, but the vixen stayed where she was. Nami noticed this.

"Fara, are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah…" said the vixen."I just need to ask Nicholas something." Everyone turned to look at her. She looked up. "Alone."

The vulpine nodded to the others, and getting his message they left. Luna couldn't help but wonder what Fara had to ask the fox that only he could hear.

When everyone was out of the room Nicholas walked up to the vixen. "Something on your mind?" he asked.

"Nicholas…. am I… am I going to have to take someone's life?"

The vulpine's eyes softened. He could tell that since Fara was such a nice person that this would be hard for her. He then spoke. "You mean those pirates that might be in the area. Remember, you're not only a pilot, but also somewhat of a mercenary. You have to live with that risk."

"Of being ordered to kill others," whispered Fara. "I know… or I thought I knew. I thought I was prepared, but…" she trailed off.

"'But I can't kill others, that's not what I agreed to join.' Is that what you want to say?"

The vixen said nothing. The vulpine then spoke again.

"I suggest you concentrate on staying alive for now. A moment's hesitation can mean instant death."

Fara didn't respond and Nicholas let out a sigh before continuing.

"It's not that I don't or can't relate to how you feel… but you can't let something so trivial get in your way."

"Trivial, huh…" said Fara.

"Think of it this way," said the vulpine. "These pirates will kill you if they're given a chance. Don't give it to them. For one thing, think about how your family would feel if you died. And then there are all the friends you've made; they'd be very sad to. Including myself."

"I had to struggle with these things when I first had to kill someone. But I knew that if I didn't, then he would have killed me. Thinking like that has helped me every time I have to do things like this mission. Just keep believing in yourself. But if it looks like you're going to cross into a path of bloodshed… then I shall take it upon myself to set you straight."

Fara looked up at him. She felt better now. "Okay," said the vixen and got out of her seat.

"Feeling okay now?"

"Yeah, let's go." The two then left the room.

They went to the hanger bay were everyone else was getting into their vehicles. All except Miyu. Nicholas noticed this.

"Is everything alright?" he called to lynx.

"Yeah, I just want to ask you something," she said. Miyu then spotted Fara. "In private." Catching her drift, the vixen went to her ship leaving the fox and lynx alone.

"So what do you want to ask?" asked Nicholas. Miyu leaned against the X-Striker that she was supposed to get in.

"I just wondered why did you choose me to lead the tanks? Why didn't you choose someone else like say Luna?"

"Even though you seven all have done well on the simulators, I think you were the best choice for this group. Besides I clearly remember you saying one time that you wanted tougher jobs." The two shared a small laugh as Miyu remembered saying something like that when the team did tasks on Eladard. She then spoke.

"So then if that wasn't the case, then you would have chosen someone else?" The vulpine nodded. "Even Fara?"

"Well I'm not so sure about her," said Nicholas. "The truth is, I think she might not be the best one yet to lead a group at the moment. Not until she's gotten use to combat. You know how nice of a person she is."

Miyu shock her head. "I don't think that's the reason. I think it's because you want to keep her near you so she won't be in any danger."

"Why would I do that?"

"Maybe because you care about her; like maybe love?"

"Miyu," said Nicholas sternly. "I thought we'd talked about this. Fara is just a sister to me, along with being a friend and teammate. I am not in love with her at all. I think you also remembered what I said during the tournament. After my last breakup, I've lost the ability to love another in that way, as well as losing faith in it and relationships. That's why I don't want one. Now unless you have something more important to ask then stupid questions, I suggest you get in the tank now." He then walked off.

Miyu just stared after him. "_This guy really has been affected,_" she thought. The lynx then got in her vehicle. "_But I know Fara's in love with him. I guess it's just going to take some more time for that vixen to charm Nicholas. Because I think it's bullshit with him saying he's lost those things. Everyone has that instinct to find love so they can continue their lines. That vulpine still has it; it's just deep inside him and locked up because of what happened. I still don't know the story behind it, but I think he's afraid of being rejected and more heart break. He doesn't want to go through that again._"

"Alright then, get ready." That was Nicholas's voice coming through the communicators of the vehicles. The mother ship began to descend down towards the target on Titania. The vehicle made its way close to the ruin, some 50 leagues away, hovering at a low enough altitude so the tanks could get to the ground.

"Let's go!" said the leader of the team and the ships and X-Strikers went out of the hull. The tanks landed on the surface of the planet.

"Make sure you don't go too fast for those on the ground," said Nicholas to the pilots as the team moved forward.

"It's rocky terrain here," said Fay in her vehicle. "How's everyone else doing?"

"I'm good here," said Bill.

"I can see our target straight ahead!" Yuki exclaimed from her fighter.

Fara saw it to. The vixen could feel her doubts and fears coming back as she could also make out the ships surrounding the ruins. She began to get a sick feeling in her stomach. Could she really do this?

"Everyone stay alert," said Ben. "It won't be long before we're noticed."

The words had hardly left his mouth when suddenly a laser shot from one of the space pirate's ship went whizzing past his fighter.

"Attack!" shouted Nicholas and suddenly ships were everywhere firing at each other. All except Fara who just avoided getting hit.

"Watch out Nami!" said Dash. "You've got some on your tail!"

The she otter just did a barrel roll to deflect some shots. She then did a summersault to get behind her attackers. The maneuver worked and she was able to shoot them down with her ship's twin lasers.

"That got them!" she said.

"Great shot!" Cody exclaimed.

Meanwhile those in the tanks were targeting enemy ships with their tanks. So far it was going well as the four tried to find their target.

"Look out Fara! You've got one behind you!" shouted Dash. The vixen could see the fighter.

"Hold tight!" said Nicholas. "I'll be right there!" He did a sharp turn to the left and locked on the pirate. He fired and the enemy ship blew up in a fiery explosion. "You alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine," said Fara quickly.

"I could use some help here!" said Lucy. She was being targeted.

"I've got my paws full here!" said Katt.

"Fara get to your friend now!" said Nicholas. The vixen had no choice but to do so. She got her ship in position. She closed her eyes and fired. It was a direct hit and the one chasing Lucy went down.

"Thanks Fara!" said Lucy and the vixen opened her eyes. "Good shooting."

"_I... just killed someone,_" thought Fara. She felt sick to her stomach. Suddenly she spotted Nicholas being attacked from all sides. Fara then felt rage: how dare they gang up on the vulpine she loved like that? She moved her ship in position and fired, striking them all down. When the explosions were done, the vixen realized what she had done.

"That's all of them!" said Nicholas after a bit.

"We found the ship!" everyone heard Miyu say. "I'll go get the core!"

X

A few minutes later, everyone was back on board the mother ship. In a little bit they would contact General Pepper and beam the energy core to Corneria for analyzing. Everyone had managed to shot down some ships, even the new team members.

"You all did a great job," said Nicholas. "I'm proud of all of you." Fara didn't feel that way. She felt like a murderer.

Throughout the rest of the day, the rest of the team couldn't help but notice that the vixen was acting weird. But when they asked her what was wrong, she would say there wasn't anything up. At dinner, the vixen hardly touched her food.

"Fara, are you alright?" asked Nicholas. "You haven't really touched your food."

"I'm fine," she said again. It pained her that she was lying to the fox she loved so much.

To everyone's surprise, she went to bed early latter that night; before anyone else. Nobody could figure out the reason. Fara went in, but was so distracted with everything that had happened that she forgot to close the door to her room behind her. After getting ready for bed the vixen crawled in and easily fell asleep. But it wasn't going to be a peaceful sleep for her at first.

A bit latter Nicholas was doing a check to make sure everything was set for the night, bare foot, and in his sleep wear, while still wearing his glasses, ring, and necklace. His hair was out of its usual ponytail. The others were already in their rooms. The vulpine always did this in case something happened. He quickly finished up the task and was just about to go to the bed in his room when he heard a scream. The vulpine could tell it came from Fara's room. But that couldn't be. She remembered to close the door, right?

He ran to discover that she had forgotten to do so. He looked in and saw her sitting up with her left paw on her forehead, and her right on her heart. "Fara," Nicholas called to her. "Are you alright?"

She jumped and saw him standing in her doorway. She let out a few shaky breaths and her arms went off of her and onto the bed.

"I don't know," the vixen responded.

"You forgot to close your door. That's not like you. And what was with the screaming?"

Fara said nothing; she just took a look at the vulpine she loved. He still was wearing his glasses, ring, and necklace. She saw the cloths the fox wore and guessed that the gym shorts and under tank top was his sleep wear. Even in the semi darkness she could make out the muscles he had a bit. And his hair wasn't in its usual ponytail.

"Fara?" This question caused her to come back to reality.

"I…" she began and Nicholas was able to see that she wore a night gown with strings. He could see that the color was pink.

"I… just had a nightmare," said the vixen. The vulpine walked over to her bedside after closing the door behind him. She jumped a bit.

"I'm not going to hurt you," said Nicholas when he saw the action. "Do you want to talk about it? It might help."

The vixen to a shaky breath and then went on to say that her nightmare was of her shooting and killing over and over again from the mission the team had had that day.

"It was horrible," Fara whispered and felt tears come to her eyes. "I couldn't wake up…"

"Fara…" said the vulpine and wrapped his strong arms around her. She felt the blush come to her face and pushed against him.

"Let go of me!" she exclaimed and tried to get the vulpine off. "This isn't necessary!"

"Not until you calm down," said Nicholas, pulling her in tighter. Fara stopped struggling. This position seemed so natural. They stayed like that for a bit.

"Would you like me to stay with you for the rest of the night?" asked the vulpine and the vixen nodded.

X

Nicholas's eyes opened after sleeping and at first was confused when he felt a body next to him. Then it came back with what had happened between him and Fara. He looked down and saw her left arm on top of his muscled chest. She appeared to be in a peaceful sleep.

The vulpine then turned his head to the right to look at the clock panel which glowed in the dark. It was 30 minutes until it was time to get up. Carefully, so as not to disturb her, the fox got out of the bed. He knew that he had been helping Fara by staying with her. Just a friend comforting another one. There was nothing romantic about it. He turned his gaze back to her after putting his glasses, ring, and necklace back on. He had taken them off and placed them on the bedside table before getting in with her.

"I hope you can understand why I couldn't stay with you the whole time," Nicholas whispered. "Hopefully this has helped you. I don't plan on doing this again. I hope you'll be able to sleep more nights in peace." He then ran a finger gently down the back of her ear and then the check before leaving. He made his way to the room he slept in to get ready for the day.

30 minutes latter Fara woke up to the sound of her alarm. She turned it off and instantly noticed that Nicholas wasn't by her side. But she caught a faint whiff of his natural sweet scent that she had come to love. He must have woken up and left not too long ago.

The vixen then realized that he had been in the same bed as her. This caused her to blush a deep red. Even though it was something she had dreamed of for so long, for it to actually happen was still unbelievable. Even though Nicholas had made the fact that he didn't want a relationship clear, and that the vulpine probably only saw it as helping a friend, the vixen still loved it.

For her to sleep next to Nicholas, who was a part Cerinian and so amazing, handsome, and cool was incredible. Fara felt that staying with him had helped her and that she wouldn't have that god awful nightmare anymore. All she would have to do was imagine Nicholas next to her before falling asleep, his strong arms around her. It wouldn't be hard to do so since it had actually happened.

Fara now felt much better after the killings she had done. She had come to peace with it. If she hadn't done what she had done yesterday, she could have been killed. And the vixen didn't want to die; she wanted to stay with Nicholas. Fara felt that now she would have no more problems with any missions in the future.

The vixen then got up and changed out of her night gown and got into her regular cloths. She knew that this had to be kept a secret from everyone else; especially Luna. Fara figured that Nicholas wouldn't brag about this to the other guys. Last night would be the two fox's little secret.

The vixen made her way down to the dining area also thinking about another thing. It was too bad that Nicholas didn't want a relationship. If only he did, then perhaps she might have a shot at him. But Fara knew that the vulpine still only saw her as a sister as well as a friend and teammate.

While the vulpine was going over the day's activities, the vixen stole glances at him. He didn't seem to act differently than usual. It was the same throughout the day. It seemed that his feelings for her were the same. But that was about to change.

Latter on during the same day the vulpine was in the weight room working on his abs and sides sine it was a non work out day. He had been watching Fara and so far the vixen hadn't acted different. Instead, she was acting like her usual self. The vulpine was happy for that, but wasn't sure why. He finished up and was about to leave the room when Amanda walked in.

"Oh, I didn't realize you started early," said the frog.

"Yeah. I got here a little early and I'm done now. Has the money come in yet?"

"We got the pay ten minutes ago. I'll take care of it as usual." She then stepped to the side to let him pass.

"Yeah, thanks," said Nicholas with his head towards her as he walked out of the weight room only to collide into Fara as she and Miyu were beginning to enter. The two foxes fell onto the ground.

Nicholas slightly got up in the push up position, but only used his left arm because he felt his right paw on something, but didn't know what it was. The fox looked and saw Fara underneath him, his right paw on her left breast. He went bright red when he realized the position he was in and where on her body his paw was. The vixen, realizing what was going on and what the vulpine was touching went scarlet. Nicholas got up quickly, and backed away; the two not breaking eye contact as the vixen just slowly sifted her position to sitting on her knees on the ground. This was the closest they had ever gotten before.

"S-sorry, Fara," said the vulpine quickly before running.

"Sure, no problem," said Fara. But by the time she said it, Nicholas was out of ear shot. Fara turned her gaze towards Miyu who looked surprised. The vixen slowly picked herself up and went in with the lynx.

Meanwhile, Nicholas was in the bathroom of his sleeping quarters. He'd been running so fast to get away from Fara that he didn't realized that he had gone to his room before standing in front of the bathroom mirror. The vulpine took a look and saw that his face was still red.

He was breathing hard; not from the run, but from what had happened. In that moment, something had once again passed between him and Fara. A different thing that hadn't happened when they first saw each other, during the dances they had, or when she fell on top of him during the first Christmas that they had shared on Corneria. She had seemed so… different.

He looked at his right paw; the one that had touched Fara's left breast. He remembered the feeling of it. And he also felt something in his heart. It was a calling to her; to love her. Not like a sister, but as a women.

"_What the hell is happing to me?_" thought Nicholas. He had sworn not to fall in love since his last break up. But as he thought about it, Fara's image came into his mind. Could she be changing him?

X

The next day the vulpine felt off as soon as he got up. Nicholas could easily remember what had happened to him and Fara yesterday. Especially with him on top of her.

"_What is with this?_" he wondered as the vixen's image came into his mind. He shook his head to clear it. Nicholas couldn't afford to be distracted now. Especially since he was going to teach the seven something new when it came to combat.

They found out what it was when it came time for weapon practicing.

"Judo?" asked Yuki when the vulpine brought it up. "What's that?"

"It's a fighting style where you either try to throw or takedown an opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue an opponent with a pin, or force an opponent to submit with a joint lock or a choke," Nicholas explained. "It's more advanced than some of the other throwing things we've taught you, but I think you seven can handle it."

It was his turn to work with Fara again, so after warming up, the vulpine spoke to the vixen. "Okay for this first technique, I need you to be on your back so I can use it on you."

Fara nodded and did just that. At first when Nicholas had used techniques on her that involved his arms around her, it had made her blush. But she was used to it by now and acted neutral. Nicholas placed his left arm underneath the vixen's back and the other arm underneath her legs.

"This is called the Four-Sided Lock," the vulpine explained. "The way this works is-" His sentience got cut off when he realized just how Fara felt in his arms. The vixen began to squirm.

"It tickles," she said. "Please stop…"

"Oops; sorry!" said Nicholas and quickly let go; he had blush on his muzzle.

"_My god…_" the vulpine thought."_I didn't realize that Fara was so soft. I never noticed it before; not even during the dances we danced at._"

"So what's next?" asked the vixen. Her question quickly brought Nicholas back to reality.

"We'll do some Randori. That's were both partners try to throw each other to the ground."

"_This doesn't feel right,_" thought the vulpine. "_I've trained with girls before. Especially with Fara and the other females on the team. But since when did training with this vixen get to be so awkward?_"

The lesson went smooth after that. The seven learned some more techniques before the team went on to practicing with their weapons.

Later that night found Nicholas and the others getting ready for bed. The vulpine was still in his regular cloths and in the dining room having a snack. He finished it up and was just about to leave when he noticed Fara looking into the room.

"Fara?" asked the vulpine. "What are you doing in here?" The vixen didn't say anything at first but then spoke.

"I've got a question. And I want you to be honest with me. Do you think I've gotten stronger?"

Nicholas smiled. "Of course you have," he said. "You certainly are much more than when you first joined my team. Everyone can see the results. Just one year has made a lot of difference."

"I see," she said and went to the table where he sat as he stood up. "It just seems like I'm nowhere near your level." In truth she wanted to be stronger so she could be by his side. But the vixen wasn't about to say that.

"Is that what's bothering you?" Fara nodded.

"I've been training to be a warrior for most of my life," said Nicholas. "You've been only doing it for a little over a year. But don't let that stop you from getting stronger and improving. Remember, you've got all of the team to help you and me as well. I'll make sure it happens by giving you my full support. You will become so strong that even a part Cerinian will have a hell of a time trying to beat you. And that's because you will become strong enough to win against one in a fight."

"Then I'll do my best to make it happen. Thank you," said Fara, and hugged Nicholas. The vulpine felt blush coming onto his muzzle. He got out of her arms and ran from her down the hall.

"_What the fuck? Why am I running from her? And why can I feel my heart pounding?_" he wondered.

"Nicholas, your face is red," said the vixen coming up behind him. "Are you alright?"

"A-a-aurgh!" shouted the vulpine and ran for it. "I'm fine; I'm going to bed!" Leaving Fara confused. He suddenly found Miyu running next to him.

"So tell me; is it love for her your feeling?" asked the lynx in a teasing voice with a smug look. She had seen everything.

"Don't be stupid, Miyu!"

"_I say that; but she's right,_" Nicholas thought. He'd been lying to himself and the others all this time. Fara was more than just a sister, friend, and teammate to him. She was someone he wanted to be with. It seemed he had fallen in love with her very quickly after the moment he first saw her but hadn't realized it.

Author's notes: How's that for an interesting twist? Now all of the guys on the Star Flight team are in love with someone.


	31. Chapter 31

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 31: The Hot Rodders

Author's notes: All of the Hot Rodder's names except their robot and another OC that I made up came from the Star Fox Wiki. You can also find a picture of their ship on the same sight to.

X

Nicholas woke up the next day to his alarm. As he turned it off, the vulpine couldn't help but notice that something was not right with him. Then everything that had happened between him and Fara came back. How he fell on top of her, to discovering that he was in love with her.

The fox groaned and covered his face with his right paw. How could it have happened after what he had said? And what about losing his ability to love and loss of faith in relationships? He still felt that way, right?

Nicholas got off of the bed and got ready for the day. Thankfully he wasn't on breakfast preparing this morning because he was really distracted right now. He was on dinner preparations today. Every day a few of the members would prepare breakfast for the team and some others would make dinner. Lunch was something that the crew made by themselves. There was a chart that had the names of who was doing the preparing for the day and it changed the next day.

When he arrived in the dining area, he noticed that Fara along with Miyu, Lucy, and Cody were busy getting everything ready. The others were already there and waiting.

"Morning Nicholas," Luna said to him kindly after spotting the fox.

"Hey Luna," the vulpine responded.

"Okay, were ready now," said Fara who had appeared suddenly in front of the group. Her leader got a good look at her eyes. Nicholas never noticed until now just how beautiful Fara's green colored eyes looked. They seemed to sparkle like emeralds. But he quickly shook it off once he realized what he was doing. Everyone then sat down in which ever spot they wanted.

Luna and the others paid no attention to Fara and Nicholas as the team ate breakfast and talked. The she wolf would have gotten enraged if she saw what was going between the vulpine and vixen that were focused more on eating.

Occasionally Fara would steal glances at the vulpine when he wasn't looking. He seemed much more…attractive then she had ever noticed before. Her feelings for him had increased even more since the night they shared the same bed and when he fell on top of her the following day. Fara knew that he was eating her cooking, and loved it every time he said that it was so good. Everyone else did, but with Nicholas it was even more special. She also got to taste his cooking when it was his turn to help with breakfast and dinner. He was good at it to and she even told him it was great.

Little did the vixen know that he was doing the same when she wasn't looking. The vulpine stole short glance at her shapely figure and her light brown fur color all of which suddenly appeared even more beautiful than before. When Fara got up after eating, Nicholas got zapped into being mesmerized on how she walked. The way those hips, tail, and ass moved… he had never seen anything like it before with any other girl.

He only realized what he was doing when the vixen turned to talk a bit to Fay and he saw the front of her body. His eyes trailed down to her _lower region_, and immediately turned away, mentally slapping himself and physically stomping on the toes of his left foot.

_"What the fuck am I doing?!"_ Nicholas thought. In all the time he had known Fara, never had he had emotions for her that were so strong. "_Don't you think it's too early to be thinking about Fara like that?_" Yet even as he thought this, an image of him and the vixen having sex came into his head. The vulpine quickly shock his head to clear that image. Thank god nobody on the ship could get past his mental shield. That image he had just thought of should be his alone. Then he suddenly realized that two days ago he had slept in the same bed as her.

Going red, the fox placed his head in his paws and gritted his teeth. There was no denying it; he was seriously in love with Fara, and his feelings for her weren't going to go away. The vulpine couldn't get the beautiful vixen out of his head. It seems he still had the ability to love another in that way and hadn't given up on relationships. Those things had just been buried deep and thanks to Fara, they had come back.

Little did her know that Miyu was watching him and had a smug look on her face. She could almost tell exactly what was going on in the vulpine's mind. The lynx planed to have a talk with him about this.

Since today was pretty much a free day, the team planed on spending it how they wanted. The only things they had to do really were weapon practicing and stuff like that. Nicholas was thankful that he wouldn't be practicing with Fara and Miyu today. He needed time to figure out how to control himself around the vixen. And he didn't want to practice with Miyu because the vulpine suspected that she knew that he loved Fara.

X

Nicholas was in his room latter that afternoon just thinking. It was about how this had all happened. How and when had he fallen in love with Fara?

He thought back after his last breakup and how sad, depressed, angry, and alone he had felt. The vulpine seriously thought that she loved him, only to betray him in the worst possible way. The fox then realized that he had his friends and family. It helped a bit, but not by much.

Nicholas then swore on that day he wouldn't fall in love again or have a relationship. What good had it done him? All it had lead to was heartbreak.

For a whole year after that, the fox had been pretty good with what he swore to do. Then he came to Rocket High and spotted Fara in the stands. He remembered the feeling he got when they made eye contact; a faint sense of some common destiny.

He remembered that he couldn't help but thinking that the vixen looked attractive. But only in general. He then spotted her latter that day and learned her name while also getting a closer look at the vixen.

Then there was the first conversation he had with Fara and found that he had enjoyed talking to her. Then came the time when he saw the vixen in her work outfit. Thinking back on it, he realized that she looked really cute in it.

Next came the times he spent at the cafe watching her. Finally there was the incident with Darcy before she changed and of him pulling the vixen in close, threatening the coyote and her friends.

Nicholas realized that was the moment that he had secretly fallen in love with Fara without realizing it. It had just taken all of this time to figure it out. He had instead said that the vixen was like his sister and he loved her like one. He couldn't have been more wrong.

Then there was the time when he said he wasn't interested in a relationship to everyone in the school. He realized that it had hurt him. Fortunately thanks to him saving Fara from being killed, the two had gotten their friendship back. It made him glad when he thought back to that moment.

Nicholas thought back to what he had said when he said that he didn't want some other people to see he had Hiita's Rage and why Fara's face had popped into his head. It was because the vulpine didn't want her to become frightened of him and cause her to not want to be with him. But he had been relived when she acted her usual self after the revealing.

Finally came the things he did for her and how she felt about that. Taking her to dances, giving her the necklace, spending time with her, and even backing her 18th birthday cake for Fara. All of this stuff he had done to please her because he loved her like a women. But again, he hadn't known it.

The vulpine then went on to think about her. Everything about Fara, from how she looked to what she did made Nicholas happy. Even her cooking. The vulpine had gotten to taste it so many times and stated that it was so good. Now he really liked it. He was also happy that Fara got to eat the things he made and state that it was delicious. Beforehand he took the nice complement, but now thinking back to every time the vixen said this made him love her even more.

Besides both being good at cooking, they had so many of the same interest from music, dancing, and other things. Sure besides taken a few body parts, and the fact that he was a part Cerinian and she was a non Cerinian made them different. But other than that, the two seemed to be a match made in heaven.

Nicholas then took a look at the pictures on his bedside table of him and the vixen. Of her in the dresses for the school dances and of the foxes with Grace. When he had said she looked beautiful, he had only meant it as a complement. But now looking back, the vulpine realized that she really was. And then there was the picture of the two with Grace. He remembered her saying the word brother and how it felt that it changed him in some way. He suspected that Grace would become a part of his life and of his family. Now he had a better idea of what it was. It was that he and Fara were meant to be together. There could be no other explanation.

Nicholas thought about it and could imagine Fara in a wedding dress and the two marrying. He grinned as he realized that he had found the girl who would make him happy for the rest of his days. The vulpine wouldn't want to be with anyone else.

He then took out a photo album from under the table that had a few and opened it. This one held pictures that he had taken during the time spent exploring the southern half of Eladard. The fox remembered how he had noticed males looking at Fara and how he had shot them evil looks and let out growls of protection. Nicholas had made up the excuse that Fara was like his sister and he didn't want to get hurt. But the truth was he wanted the other males to fuck off; she was his.

He then found the photo he was looking for; Fara in a green bikini. The vulpine never noticed before that the swimsuits that the vixen wore seem to hug her beautiful frame perfectly, right down to the stitch until now. He couldn't help but notice that Fara's beauty could actually be on the same level as a pure blood Cerinian female. It wasn't too hard to imagine the arm and leg tattoos on the vixen's light, brown colored fur.

And that's what would happen if she married Nicholas. She would become a part of the Cerinian race. Fara would make a fine addition to the vulpine's people. He then took a look at the picture some more. Suddenly his imagination sprung up a fantasy of Fara and him in a private area. The two foxes kissed each other and fell onto the ground while exploring the other's body with their paws. The fantasy Nicholas then removed the fantasy Fara's bikini top to expose her breast. It then went on to the two taking everything else off before having sex with the fantasy Fara sighing Nicholas's name with love and passion as they fucked each other in every position and type.

The vulpine closed the photo album and put it away. Nicholas figured that now he had a good reason to imagine the vixen in that way when he pleasured himself at night. Now all he had to do was see how she felt by reading her mind and…

The fox stopped with that thought when he remembered that he had taught Fara how to block his mind reading abilities. He realized with regret that he never should have taught her that trick. Sure, it might save the vixen's life at times, but it kept the vulpine from seeing if she loved him. Then again, all the other girls he dated in the past had had the training like Fara. Maybe Nicholas should play the game of love the old fashion way instead.

But there was no denying that the vulpine was in love with Fara, so much so that it would cause him pain to be away from her. The fox suddenly heard the first four lines of the song Into The Night in his head.

**Like a gift from the heavens, it was easy to tell**

**It was love from above that could save me from hell**

**She had fire in her soul it was easy to see**

**How the devil himself could be pulled out of me**

Nicholas smiled as those words rang true from him. Fara was like a gift from the heavens that had save him from his hell of his last breakup. The vixen had fire in her soul and had charmed the fox into wanting to be with her.

He suddenly heard a knocking on his door which interrupted his thoughts. "Nicholas? It's Miyu."

The vulpine went over, opened to answer, and saw the lynx, wondering what she wanted. The look on her face surprised him. It was serious, yet light.

"Miyu, what's up?"

"I just wanted to talk to you about something," she said as she entered the room and closed the door behind her. Miyu figured that he would like it if this was private.

"What about?"

Miyu looked away impish like, as she wondered how she should bring this up. The lynx didn't want Nicholas to blow up. But she knew this had to be done. Meanwhile, the vulpine had a nasty suspicion of what this team mate of his wanted to talk about. She finally spoke.

"I couldn't help but notice that you've been acting… not your usual self when it comes to Fara today. Are you alright?" The vulpine's face went red and he turned his head away from Miyu.

"I don't know." He went back to his bed and fell on it with his front body up with a groan.

"You don't know? Or are you just saying that?" asked the lynx. "I can read your body figure. And from the way you've been acting I know that there is something going on." The fox sat up and sighed. He knew that Miyu could tell. Nicholas turned his head to her.

"Well… you're right." The fox took a deep breath. "It's just that… the reason I've been acting differently around Fara is because I've just figured it out…"

"What is it?" asked Miyu. She suspected what the answer was, but wanted him to say it.

"…the truth is that I'm in love with Fara Phoenix."

The two went silent before Nicholas spoke up.

"Promise me you're not going to tell anyone." He sounded so serious, as he had the right to. This was his own personal business and no one else's.

"Why would I tell anyone? This is your own business," Miyu defended herself, her tone making her sound a bit defensive on her part. The vulpine was instantly sorry for his harsh tone, as this was something he didn't want to become public, until things could be straightened out.

"I know, I'm sorry. I just don't want to cause problems. I mean, do you know what could happen if this got know all of a sudden? For example, what would happen after what I said to everyone about losing the ability to love another and lose faith in relationships and all of a sudden I'm in one?"

"It wouldn't be good," said Miyu. "People would think you've been lying."

"That, plus there are some other problems that I'm sure you can figure out."

"I guess I'll just get to my point then," the lynx stated, preparing for the ultimate question she was about to ask. She crossed her arms, cocked an eyebrow as she got blunt and straight to the point.

"Do you really love Fara? And how much?"

"I've found out before you came in that I love her so much that it would cause me pain to be away from her," said Nicholas automatically and firmly. "That's why even if the missions are dangerous, I won't ask Fara to leave the team. I believe that she can take care of herself on the battle field. And if that's not enough, I will protect her with everything I've got."

"I see you've got a good resolve. I think that it's wonderful this has happened. You'll both be lucky to have each other. But what are you going to do about this?"

"For now, I'm just going to keep my feelings hidden while I learn more about Fara," said the vulpine. "There's probably some stuff I still don't know about her."

"That's a good idea," said Miyu. "Just take it nice and slow. Then when you're ready, tell Fara that you love her. But don't keep her waiting."

"I won't."

"Don't worry," said the lynx. "This conversation will be kept between us."

X

Miyu left after that and the rest of the day went by without innocent. A couple of days later the team got contacted by General Pepper. Once again the entire Star Flight team was in the main control and briefing room to hear the hound speak.

"It took us a bit, but we managed to decode the energy core you found," he said. General Pepper head was only visible since he was contacting the team. "It seems we hit a big one. Turns out that Chase Young is building something. Something that could actually pose a threat to the Lylat."

"I see," said Nicholas. "So where is this thing located?"

"It's on Fortuna, a thriving green planet that is farther out from the Lylat. But Titania can be seen from it so it's between that planet and Sector X. It's not inhabited by Cornerians, so it's the perfect hiding spot. You're ship has wormhole technology on it right?"

"Of course general," said the vulpine.

"Good, you'll need that to reach the planet," said General Pepper. "We believe that Chase is on the planet along with the rest of his space pirates. Your mission is to destroy this thing before its completion. If you manage to also capture Chase alive, you'll be given extra credits for it. However, because he's got more pirates with him, I'm having another mercenary team go with you."

"Who are they?" asked Nicholas.

"A group called The Hot Rodders." When Katt heard this, her eyebrows went up and her ears twitched.

"Are you sure that's what they call themselves?" asked the feline.

"Yes," said the hound. "Is there a problem?"

"No… It's just… I flew with them for a few years along with Falco before the Lylat War."

"Is that so?" Katt nodded. "Did you know about this Nicholas?"

"No," said the vulpine. "My feline team mate hasn't spoken a whole lot about her past. We only know some things."

"It's because a lot of it has to do with Falco," said Katt softly. "It hurts to remember somewhat since I've never gotten over my love for him." For her to admit it was a bit of a surprise. After all, the feline usually didn't let her emotions show at all most of the time. But occasionally she did.

"It's alright," said Nicholas. "You don't have to talk about it when you don't want to. When you're ready, we'll be all ears. Is there a way we can meet with them first? I'd like to get to know the Hot Rodders before we work with them."

"They're located near Titania," said Genera Pepper. "I want you all to get to Fortuna as soon as possible to stop Chase." The projection then went blank.

"You heard the General," said the vulpine. "Let's get moving."

X

While the mother ship was making its way to the planet, Katt approached her leader. "Nicholas, I've got a little problem," she said.

"What is it?"

"I can't show myself to the Hot Rodders like this. I looked like my old self when I joined up with them. If I'm presented black and white, it'll raise questions. And I don't think it's a good idea to tell them about how I was changed."

"I agree," said Nicholas. "I thought this might happen, so I've got something for you." He took the feline to his room. The vulpine went to his closest, and after looking around for a bit, the fox came out with a box of spray cans.

"Are those…?" asked Katt.

"Yeah; they're long term temporary dyes," said Nicholas. He held one up to show it contained the color pink; the exact same pink that the feline had once been. "You only need one of these to make your body look like it was before. Let's try it out."

Katt held out her right arm after the fox shock the can. He applied a bit and a pink spot appeared.

"Wow, it does work," said the feline. "You can't tell that part is black."

"I'll let you handle the rest," said Nicholas. "You should have plenty of time to change your appearance before we met the Hot Rodders."

Katt returned to her room and stripped completely nude. Fortunately the white in her ears, the hair, and bottom part of her face where her mouth and nose were didn't need to be changed. Everything else did. She carefully applied the dye on those spots and when the feline was finished, Katt looked like her old self. She wasn't worried on how the seven were going to react; those girls had already seen a picture of the feline before her change after Nicholas had explained it to them.

The feline returned to where the rest of the team was in the main control and briefing room in some of the old clothes she used to wear. Katt got some nice complements from the others as the ship got closer to Titania. From the window of the room, the Star Flight team spotted another ship. Its color was a dull tannish color and looked somewhat like a ship that went on water.

"They've already made contact with me," said Nicholas. "They want to come aboard and meet us." Katt felt a bit nervous; she hadn't seen this crew for a few years. She could only wonder how they were doing.

In a little bit, the two ships were hooked up side by side with a tube in between the two vehicles. The Star Flight team was waiting in the hanger bay for the new comers. The group soon came into the area. They were four of them in total.

One of them was a rusty colored robot. The head had a few small spikes on it. Below that was a white bottom face piece. In between that was a black section that had two white lights for the eyes.

Next to the robot was a male, grey colored mouse. He had red shades on, along with a black riding jacket, black pants, and grey boots. Two silver colored earrings were attached to his left ear. But his most striking feature was that he was short. Much shorter than the average mouse. In our world, his height could be compared to that of a dwarf.

Next to the mouse was a huge male crocodile; taller than any of the other Hot Rodders. He also had a black riding jacket like the mouse, except the collar had fur on it. The left arm of the jacket had a skull design on it. The crocodile wore a black flight cap and goggles. Under the jacket he wore an orange color shirt and on top of that, he had a necklace. Black, fingerless gloves were on his hands and he wore brown pants with grey boots.

Finally a male cat was leading the group. He had yellow hair and blue fur. It reminded Nicholas of Krystal's fur color as he looked at it. His eyes were blue just like Katt's. He wore a blue space suit that had some black on it and dark colored gloves. And he was handsome.

Katt looked at each of the members. They all looked the same since she had last left them. The feline's eyes quickly looked to each one. Then she noticed that there was one member not present among this group. She then noticed the blue feline and she felt blush come onto her muzzle.

By this point the Hot Rodders stopped in front of Star Flight. "Welcome aboard to our ship," said Nicholas. "I'm glad we were able to do this since we'll be working together on this mission."

"Likewise," said the blue feline. "My name is Kool. These are my boys. We have our heavy weapons expert Bowsor." The crocodile nodded his head. "Our strategist and hacker Mouser." The mouse with shades grinned. "And finally Rusty." The robot also nodded its head.

"Good to meet you," said the vulpine. He then went on to introduce the rest of the team. After that was done he then smiled. "And then we have one who you all know well. She's told us that she flew with you guys and Falco some years ago. May I present Katt." The now pink feline who had been hidden behind the other members stepped out.

All of the Hot Rodders felt shock come onto their faces expect for Rusty. "Hey boys," said Katt in a sassy tone. Kool was the first to recover.

"Katt?" he asked. "Is it really you?" Nicholas noticed that he had a little bit of blush on his face.

"Yes," said the pink feline. "It's been quite some time."

"It is her," said Mouser. Everyone on the Star Flight team who didn't know him was surprised that he had a real strong voice. They also noticed when he spoke, the rodent's teeth had spaces in between them that showed.

"It is good to see you again," said Bowsor. He had a deep voice.

"I'm sure you'll want to do some catching up," said Nicholas. We'll give you time to do so before we head out tomorrow. How does that sound?"

Everyone agreed before splitting up. Katt took the Hot Rodders to the dining area to talk. First she told them everything that had happened to her. From how she helped with the Star Fox team, to missions she did with Star Flight, to the things that had happened while on Eladard. She didn't bring up her change, how she felt for Falco, and also things about Nicholas that only his team could know about.

"That's quite a lot," said Kool when the pink feline finished. "It's nice to see you've been doing well." Katt blushed a bit and looked away from his handsome face. She noticed that her heart was beating a little bit faster and she had butterflies in her stomach.

"_What the hell?_" Katt wondered inside her head. "_Why do I feel this way? I'm still in love with Falco, and yet Kool is making me feel that special way right now._" The feline then remembered back when she and Falco were still a part of the Hot Rodders. Katt always loved Falco, but if she had to choose, she decided to go for Kool. Even though she suspected that the one member who had not been present also had feelings for the blue cat.

"_How would Kool react if he knew about my change?_" Katt wondered. "_Would he accept me?_" She then returned to reality and asked. "So what's been going on with you guys?"

"Well as you can see I lead them now," said Kool. "_Oh man… Katt's become even more beautiful than before. I want to be with her,_" thought the cat while speaking. He then continued to speak about some of the missions the group had done.

When he was done Katt asked another question. "Say, were is Emily? She didn't show up with you guys." As soon as the feline asked, the Hot Rodder's faces went dark. Kool seemed to lose his composure and became sad.

"Emily… is no longer a part of the Hot Rodders," the blue cat whispered as a single tear ran down his check. Katt was startled by this.

"Oh! Sorry I didn't mean…" she started but then trailed off.

"It's alright," said Bowsor. "After all you didn't know."

"What happened? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No I can," said Kool. He took a deep breath. "Some time after you and Falco left, Emily and I confused our love to one another." Katt took a sharp breath. It was just as she had thought. The two did have feelings for each other. "We promised to be together forever. But then the missions got too dangerous. And so I forced her to leave the team. Both of us were heartbroken. And I haven't heard or seen her since."

"Kool…" said Katt. "I'm so sorry. Truly, I am."

"Poor guy hasn't quite gotten over it," said Mouser. "He still believes that she's out there, and hopefully happy."

The group continued to talk about other things before the time came to do stuff. The group promised to set out first thing in the morning.

X

The next day came bright and early for the two groups of mercenaries. They then used their warp hole technology to create a gate. The two mother ships entered and in a few minutes were approaching Fortuna.

The vehicles then decided through the atmosphere of the planet. One they were at a reasonable altitude, the Hot Rodders met on the main ship of Star Flight in the main control and briefing room.

"Okay, we've located the base, on the south side of the planet," said Nicholas. A map of the Fortuna was being projected in the room. Mouser sat on Bowsor's head to get a better view. Kool stayed near his team but did his best to be close to Katt as possible. The pink feline noticed this and had a bit of blush on her muzzle.

"I figured the best way to attack is to have one group on the ground attack and destroy ground targets. Anything from pirates, anti air guns, stuff like that. The rest of us will attack from the air."

"How are we getting in?" asked Kool.

"Since Rusty won't be fighting, the rest of your group will get a lift from our ships. Ever done wing riding? Because that's what you're going to have to do to get onto the ground."

"Sounds exciting," said Mouser with a grin.

"So who's going to be on the ground crew besides us?" asked Bowsor.

"Myself, Katt, and Fara will," said the vulpine. He then turned to the remaining members. "I'm going to have Bill lead the ships in for the attack. Is that fine with the rest of you?" They all nodded.

"Who will lead the ground team?" asked Katt. "You?"

"I don't think so," said Nicholas. "I think that should go to someone else." He then looked to Fara. "Think you can handle it?"

"M-me?!" asked the vixen, all shocked.

"Unless you can't handle the job," said Nicholas with a grin. "I won't force you if you'd rather not."

"No, I'm just surprised, that's all," said Fara. She then got a serious look. "I'll do it."

"Excellent," said the vulpine. "I know you can do it. Alright then; let's get moving."

All too soon the ships that were taking the ones to infiltrate the base were descending. Kool was on Katt's ship, while Bowsor and Mouse were on Nicholas's. They landed some ten leagues away. Everyone got off of the vehicles and checked to see if they had the weapons they would need. The vulpine had his blaster, but also his double bladed beam ax on his back and a wireless head set to keep in touch with those in the air. Fara had her gun and a beam sword just in case alone with a Hi-Def Display Device.

Katt, Kool, and Mouser had regular blasters, but Bowsor had huge ones. He explained that since he was the heavy weapons expert of the Hot Rodders, he used big ones to fight.

"So what's the plain Fara?" asked Kool.

"We'll just get close enough and see the situation," said the vixen and began to lead them through the dense jungle growth. Mouser rod on Bowser's head.

"Fuck!" hissed Katt. "These plants are poking me!"

"Then let me go first and make sure nothing happens to you," said Kool and walked in front of her. His blue tail brushed against the pink feline's arm. Katt couldn't help but blush. After some minutes the group arrived at a cliff. They crept forward and saw the base.

Fara took a look through the Hi-Def Display Device and saw many pirate scum in and around the base. She then spotted a section that wasn't guarded. "We can get in on the north east side," said the vixen. "Tell the others to wait for your signal to attack Nicholas."

"Got it," said the vulpine. The others were already in the air, just waiting. Nicholas did just that.

The ground team made it to the ground without incident. They approached the base and made it inside.

"What now?" asked Mouser. Before Fara could answer, they heard some noise; of footsteps approaching.

"Quick! Up there!" hissed Kool and the group went up to an upper level platform. They hid behind some crates. They peered around them and were able to hear the conversation that was going on between two pirates.

"It's almost ready," said a male bear. "With this weapon, nothing will stop us."

"I'm already thinking of what I'm going to do with my cut of the riches this thing will get us," said a male lemur. "Mostly a lot of tail."

"You horny bastard," said the bear. "Is sex the only thing you can think about?" They're voices then disappeared as the two pirates rounded a corner.

"Crap, we have less time than I thought," said Nicholas.

"But maybe it's enough," said Bowsor. "Let's find this weapon and blow it sky high."

"But where could it be?' asked Mouser.

"Probably in the center," said Fara. "We did a rundown of the area, and there's a huge area in the middle. That's probably were it is."

"Don't worry Katt," said Kool. "I'll protect your back." The feline blushed but quickly responded back in a teasing voice.

"Then who will watch yours?"

"If you're applying for the job, then go ahead," said the blue feline with a grin. Nicholas had a smile on his muzzle. He could tell that these two were falling for each other very quickly.

The group managed to make it to the center of the base without incident. They then spotted some anti air guns that would have to be dealt with. A small army of pirates were in the middle just looking out for trouble.

"Shit, that's a lot of scum," whispered Mouser. Suddenly a tall weasel came out of one of the doors of the base. He was muscled and had long, straight, black hair that went to his shoulders. His left eye was covered by an eye patch. He wore a blood red cape, and a sleeveless shirt colored black. His pants were also black and on his belt was a beam sword hilt. He wore black boots.

"There's Chase," Nicholas whispered. The group then heard the weasel speak.

"How much longer now?" he asked to a mechanic who had come to him.

"Just a few more tests and the weapon will be ready."

"Good," said the weasel. He then turned to the pirates who were on the lookout. "Keep an eye out for trouble. I don't want it to stop my plans." Chase then walked back into the base.

"Should we make a move now?" asked Katt.

"Not yet," said Fara. "The weapon needs to be out so the ones in the ships can get a shot at it."

X

A bit latter everything was set up for the Star Flight Team and the Hot Rodders to attack. Bowsor and Mouser had placed charges on the anti air guns and were back with the rest of the group on the ground. The ones in the ships were ready to attack.

Suddenly Chase came out of the base. The pirates that were guarding in the area turned their attention to the weasel.

"The time has come!" said Chase. "To bring the Lylat to her knees!" His pirate crew let out a roar. "With this weapon, nothing will stop us! We'll show all who oppose us what true power really is!"

From the center of the base the ground spilt in two, revealing that it was a door that only looked like the ground. From beneath the base a huge platform rose up. On top of it was a gigantic object, but it looked folded up. Its color was dark blue and light grey.

"That must be it," whispered Kool. "Doesn't look to threatening."

"One can never be too sure Kool," Nicholas whispered.

"Now the Lylat will face the wrath of our weapon. The Canopy Star; Dyson Sphere!" From the platform the object began to rise. The ground group saw that it was a lot bigger than they had anticipated.

"What the fuck?" whispered Katt.

"That thing is as big as both of the mother ships!" Nicholas whispered.

"Impossible…" whispered Fara. The weapon had a long point at the bottom that could be seen as it rose above the base. It than began to unfold, revealing six panels that had orange lines on it. Three smaller orbs floated above three of the bottom panels. The panels were attached to a sphere and on top of that was another sphere colored yellow.

"Uh, when would be a good time to attack?" Mouser whispered.

"Not yet," said the vixen. "Wait for it and then blow up the guns with the detonators Bowsor. That will be your cue to have the rest of our team attack Nicholas." The vulpine and crocodile nodded.

"And now we'll target Corneria first!" shouted Chase.

"Now!" shouted Fara. Bowsor had a remote controller in his hand. He pressed a button and instantly the anti air guns blew up in fiery explosions. This caused all the people in the center of the base to whip their heads around to find the source.

"Star Flight team; attack!" shouted Nicholas into his wireless head set. The fighters of his team came screaming from the horizon. They then saw the satellite.

"We're suppose to attack that?!" asked Miyu.

"How the hell are we going to take it down?!" asked Yuki.

"We have to figure out some way!" said Fay. "If that thing gets into space, there's no telling what it will do!"

"Exactly," said Bill. "And you know what they say; the bigger they are, the harder they fall!"

Meanwhile, the ground group were attacking the pirates in the base. They used the surroundings to their advantage. Mouser was the only one who didn't; he just rode and fired on top of Bowsor's head.

"I see you've still got it Katt!" said Kool as he shot a pirate in the chest.

"Of course!" said the pink feline. "I haven't spent all the time I was away from you guys doing nothing! I've been training and practicing!"

Nicholas meanwhile got another pirate with a kick before taking a quick glance at Fara. The vixen didn't seem phased at all. The only thing that could be seen on her face was concentration. The vulpine could see that she really had come to terms with killing. It was just the average day of a mercenary; kill, or be killed.

"What the fuck is going on here?!" Chase shouted.

"Sir; a large group of mercenaries have attacked!" said a big stoat. "But we can recognize the ships that are attacking our weapon. It's Star Flight!"

"Fuck!" said Chase. "I should've known those fuckers would get involved. No matter; it's time to kill them!"

Meanwhile the ones in the ships were trying their best to attack. But the attacks weren't working.

"It must have a strong deflector shield!" said Amanda. "Our shots aren't damaging it!"

"Look out!" shouted Nami. "It's firing!" From each of the panels, guns were shooting at the pilots.

Down in the base, the ground group was taking out the rest of the pirates at a quick rate. Nicholas suddenly had to get behind a crate because Chase was beginning to fire at the vulpine with a blaster he picked up from a dead pirate.

"Come out Nicholas McCoy!" shouted the weasel. "I know you're here. Fight like a man!"

Fara came up besides the vulpine. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, except Chase has decided to attack me. It's time to end this." Chase stopped firing and Nicholas was able to stand up.

"Hey there," said the vulpine with a smirk. "How's it hanging?"

"Don't give me that shit," the weasel growled. "I should've known that your team was behind this attack!"

"Yeah, except the team has gotten bigger," said Fara as she came up from behind the crates.

"And who the hell are you?" asked Chase.

"The one who lead the ground crew in its assault."

"You don't look like much," said the weasel. "Here's a suggestion for you. How about you stand down, bitch?"

Fara quickly used her blaster to shot Chase's out of his paws. He took a step back in shock but quickly recovered.

"Will you look at that. It looks like this vixen's got some moves!" Chase quickly got out his beam sword and activated it before charging in.

"Idiot," said Nicholas and prepared to fire with his blaster. The vulpine and Fara then sensed something approaching from above. The two foxes dodged as the big stoat from before came down with a beam mace from an upper level.

By this point Chase was almost to Fara. She activated her beam sword and met his attack. Her leader turned towards the stoat and activated his double bladed beam ax.

"I would rather attack Nicholas, but since you stopped me, I guess I'll start with you vixen," said Chase. "Tell me your name so I can know the one who dared to challenge me."

"Fine with me," said Fara. "I am Fara Phoenix."

"So you'll be my opponent," said Nicholas to the stoat. "What is your name?"

"I'm the second in command. My name is Alit Striker!"

"_I just hope the others will be fine,_" thought the vulpine as he took a ready stance. "_Especially those in the ships. And Fara to. She's going against a strong opponent. But I know she can win._"

Author's notes: Sorry to leave it at a cliff hanger, but once again the chapter was getting too long.


	32. Chapter 32

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 32: Goodbye for Now

The rest of the ground group was busy taking out the rest of the pirate scum. It wasn't that hard of a thing to do.

"That's the last of them!" said Bowsor. The pirates were either dead or captured.

"Yeah, but how are the others going to beat the satellite?" asked Katt. Kool placed a reassuring paw on her shoulder which made the pink feline blush.

"They'll figure a way out," he said.

Meanwhile the pilots fighting the weapon were just dodging the shots from it.

"This isn't good!' said Yuki."We may end up getting shot down before we can take it out! Our shots still aren't doing any damage!"

"We have to keep trying!" said Dash.

Down in the base Nicholas and Fara were continuing their fight against Chase and Alit.

"I see this isn't the first time you've fought against a mace!' said the stoat to the vulpine. The fox already had his beam weapon out and activated. The two had exchanged some blows already.

"Of course," said Nicholas. "I've gone against it many times."

Fara and Chase had done some clashing. Now they were analyzing each other while slowing circling each other.

"_He's strong,_" thought the vixen. "_Chase isn't as good as Nicholas. But he's definitely been trained. But so have I. I should be able to win this. But I still have to be careful. This isn't like the weapon practicing I've been doing. Our weapons can cut now._"

"I see that you've got moves vixen," said Chase. "But that won't save you." The weasel then looked up at the battle taking place above. "Your friends in the ships won't be able to damage The Dyson Sphere weapon we have. Nothing can touch it."

"It must have a weak point," said Fara. "Everything does."

"Not the thing we've created," said Chase and charged again with his beam sword.

The rest of the ground group had now made their way to where Nicholas and Fara were fighting. They were watching from a distance.

"Should we help them out?" asked Mouser.

"No," said Katt. "They can handle this."

Alit swung his mace down and Nicholas stopped it with the handle of his weapon. The fox then countered attack only for the stoat to step back to avoid getting hit. Nicholas's opponent was much faster than he looked.

Alit then did a series of swings with his mace that the vulpine blocked with his double bladed ax. The fox then went on the offensive. He pushed the stoat back right against a wall that had a barrel next to it that had explosives in it. Nicholas then swung down and Alit dodged. The double bladed ax got the barrel which set off the explosives inside.

"Oh crap," said Nicholas. The barrel exploded, sending the vulpine and the stoat flying back. They weren't hurt too bad, just momentarily knocked out.

The blast got everyone's attention that was on the ground. Fara jumped back from Chase and quickly ran to Nicholas.

"Nicholas!" she shouted; there were tears in her eyes.

"You're wide open!" shouted Chase and tried to get the vixen. She was able to stop his sword swing.

"Fuck you! Get lost!" Fara growled.

Meanwhile the pilots were still attacking the weapon. Suddenly a shot from Miyu hit one of the smaller floating orbs. That object began to smoke.

"What the…?" asked the lynx. She fired at it again and the smaller sphere seemed to take even more damage.

"Everyone!" said Miyu to the other team members in their ships. "Try aiming for the smaller floating orbs!" They did so and realized that those things weren't shielded.

"Keep firing at them!" said Bill. In a little bit those objects were destroyed.

"There seems to be some sort of energy reaction!" said Amanda. From the top most sphere of the satellite that was colored yellow came a glowing round orange colored circle.

"That must be the core!" said Luna.

"Let's blow this thing sky high!" Cody said.

"Be careful!" shouted Nami. "This thing can still fire!"

Fay then flew like a dare devil between the laser fire from the weapon and used everything she had on her ship to attack. Suddenly an explosion from the center of the weapon went off.

"Yee haaaa!" shouted Bill. "You did it!" The satellite had more explosions go off as pieces of it began to fall off. Then in a massive explosion and huge ball of fiery metal, fire, and smoke appeared, destroying the weapon.

Those on the ground except for Alit looked up at the noise.

"They did it!" said Kool.

"I knew they could do it!' Katt exclaimed.

"How's that Chase?" asked Fara, turning her attention back to the weasel.

"Fuck all of you to hell!" he shouted. Chase then looked to where Alit was and notice Nicholas was gone. Suddenly an object struck Chase on the head. It turned out to be Nicholas, looking alright who had used his beam weapon. The weasel fell to the ground as he was knocked out.

"So who's wide open now biach? asked the vulpine with a smirk.

"You're okay!' said the vixen and turned off her beam sword. She ran over to the vulpine and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Nicholas blushed a bit, but kept his cool as he hugged her back.

"I'm alright," he said. "Let's report in to General Pepper."

X

In a little bit, Cornerian forces were on Fortuna taking the pirates who were still alive into custody along with Alit and Chase. Both the Star Flight team and The Hot Rodders had just finished explaining everything to the hound by projection.

"I never would have suspected that Chase would have a weapon that huge under his control," said General Pepper. "You all did a good job not only catching him but stopping his plan as well. The pay will be transferred to both of you teams. Over and out." With that, the image of his head disappeared.

"You all did a good job," said Nicholas, turning to the members of both teams. "Especially you Fara leading us against Chase and his forces."

The vixen blushed and scratched the back of her head. "It was nothing."

"So what happens now?" asked Miyu.

"I guess this is where we say goodbye," said the vulpine. Kool and Katt's eyes met each other. The look they had said it all; the two felines didn't want to leave each other because they wanted to be together. Everyone else noticed.

"Katt, Kool, is something wrong?" asked Nicholas.

"Nothing," said the blue cat abruptly. Katt then spoke up.

"Actually, there's something I need to talk about with you Nicholas." She took a deep breath. "I think it would be best if I left the Star Flight team."

Nobody spoke for a bit.

"I figured this might happen," said the vulpine. "Any particular reason why?"

"Well…" said the pink feline."It's just that I want to go with the Hot Rodders and help them out. They could use the extra paws."

"Why do I get the feeling that there's more to your motives than you're letting on?' asked Nicholas with a smile.

"There isn't!" Katt hissed at him; her face went bright red.

"Okay then," said the vulpine. "I guess it would be alright." You could see both feline's faces light up with happiness. "However, I need to give Katt a few things first. Let's meet outside of both ships in one hour."

Nicholas took Katt back to his room where he gave her the dye cans that he had shown her before.

"If you're going with the Hot Rodders, you'll need these to maintain your appearance. You need to reapply the dye once a month."

"How many are there?" asked Katt.

"24 cans," said the fox. "So you should be good for two years. Just make sure none of the Hot Rodders see you applying this; it will raise questions."

"I understand."

"Okay, go take what you need while also saying goodbye to whoever you need to. It was fun working with you while it lasted. But if this is what you want, than I won't stop you." The pink feline was so overjoyed, she gave Nicholas a hug.

"Thank you," she whispered as he hugged her back. "For letting me do this and for everything."

It only took her 20 minutes to pack away the spray cans and the things she would need. Katt then spent the rest of the time to say goodbye to everyone. Especially Miyu, who had a great bond with the feline. All too soon, the teams meet outside their mother ships to see each other off.

"I hope we'll work together again," said Kool. "It was fun."

"I'm sure we will," said Nicholas. "If you ever need help, just contact us and we'll be there if we can. Katt can help you with that."

The Hot Rodders than went into their ship. The Star Flight team watched them take off before getting into their mother ship.

"Was this the right thing to do?" asked Fara.

"It's what Katt wants," said the vulpine. "I won't deny her it."

The Star Flight team was soon off of Fortuna and back near Corneria, ready for their next mission. But something really big was happening with the Hot Rodders.

Katt got her old room back and finished unpacking. She made sure that she hid the spray cans in a good spot. When she was done, the feline heard a knock on her door. She answered to find Kool standing outside.

"Kool," said Katt, and blushed. He was also blushing to.

"Hey," said the blue feline, and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "You all set?" The pink cat nodded. "That's good then." The two were then silent.

"So is there anything else you want?' asked Katt.

"Well… I just have to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Why did you decided to rejoin with us?" asked Kool. He was avoiding her eyes.

"I…" began Katt and then she looked away."I just… wanted to be with you guys. You probably need the extra help. But it's also strange, because I wanted to ask you something as well."

"What?"

"Do you think it was the right thing for me to do this?" Kool then decided to act on what his heart was telling him. He took Katt's paws in his own. Her face had blush on it.

"You have no idea how right it is." Kool then leaned forward and kissed the pink feline passionately on the lips. Her eyes went wide with shock, but a second latter they closed as Katt kissed the blue cat back.

Their arms went around each other as their tongues fought against the other. Sure, Kool may still have loved Emily, and Katt may still have loved Falco. But the two couldn't deny the feelings they had for the other right now. It felt right in both their hearts and heads.

After a few minutes the two felines came apart. Kool finally spoke.

"Katt, I love you." She smiled and laid her head on his muscled chest.

"And I love you Kool," said the pink cat. "This feels so right."

"Yeah, me to. I think this is a sign for me to start over again with you. I will not make the same mistake as I did last time."

"I know you won't. I haven't been in a relationship for so long. I've forgotten how wonderful it feels. Let's promise to stay together."

Little did the Star Flight team and Hot Rodders know that this arrangement was only going to last for one year. Because a certain incident would change that. And old feelings for others were going to come up.


	33. Chapter 33

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 33: A Reunion and the Incident

Author's notes: If you want to read the manga were this event takes place you can find it by goggling it. It's called Farewell, Beloved Falco.

X

With Chase and his pirate crew behind bars, the Star Flight team could relax. However, the Lylat System had now returned to peace and prosperity. This made mercenary work hard to come by. Although there was a lack of excitement, there wasn't a lack of income since Nicholas had invested all the credits his team had earned for situations like this. The group was able to keep the ship and other things like that in top condition.

Life still continued for the team like normal, even though Katt wasn't around anymore. The seven continued to improve in the skills needed to survive mercenary missions. It wouldn't be too long until they were on the same level as the old Star Flight team.

Nicholas had managed to keep his feelings from Fara and the others a secret. The vulpine could now keep his cool around the vixen when they practiced fighting or weapon practicing. He even went on to learn more about her as he could without seeming too obvious. Nicholas didn't know yet when he would tell Fara. But hopefully an opportunity would present itself.

Meanwhile, the other guys on the team had begun to suspect who on the team loved each other except for the girls they loved and Nicholas. It made them frustrated that they could see it with others but not with those particular people. Instead they did what they could to learn more about the ones they loved. It was the same situation for the girls. They had been able to figure out which guy loved which girl. But they couldn't figure out if the guy they loved had the same feelings for them. They also couldn't tell if Nicholas had feelings for any of the females. Miyu had kept her word to the vulpine and had not said anything about the fox loving Fara. And for that, Nicholas was grateful.

The whole team had stayed in contact with family and friends that they had left. It seemed things were going pretty good for them. Bill had kept in touch with Keira and Fisk. Not long after Katt had left, the female husky had given birth to a healthy male pup that was named Lance. He had his mother's fur color coat, but had his father's eyes which were black. Both the male wolf and female canine were so happy.

Quickly a year passed since the feline left. One day found the team near Titania. Fay as usual was in the hanger bay doing her regular check up on the subs, ships, and tanks of the team. Amanda, Nicholas, Cody, Miyu, and Fara were in there to help her.

"Could you hand me a BG wrench?" asked Fay to Fara. The collie was checking on one of the wings of her ship.

"This one?" asked the vixen holding up the tool.

"Exactly." Fay then tightened a screw that seemed to have gotten loose. At that moment Bill walked in. Everyone looked up to see him.

"Just thought I drop by to see how you guys are doing," said the canine. He stopped right next to Fay. "Are you almost done?"

"We're on the last one," said Cody.

"That was quick."

"Well it's mostly thanks to Fay," Amanda replied.

"Yeah," said Bill. "You sure know your way around machines and vehicles Fay."

"I can handle tools," said the collie. "But that's not all I'm good at… Bill." She leaned against the canine's shoulder in a kinda romantic way when she said this. He blushed but the moment got interrupted by Miyu who popped out from under the bottom of the ship.

"I just finished spraying this ship." The lynx was holding a spray can in her right paw that had weather protection wax. It would protect the fighter from rain, snow, ice, and hail. It needed to be reapplied every now and then. "With this, this baby will really be something."

Nicholas rolled his eyes and then spoke. "Right. Did you put on two coats of wax, or just one?"

"One… but that will make it be much faster!"

"And that can make all the difference between life and death," said the vulpine. "I thought you would know better by now how much it takes." He then got up and left since the job was finished. The vulpine made his way to the main control and briefing room and went in.

"I just wish there was some kind of work we could do," said the fox out loud. "This isn't right."

Suddenly the communication screen began to flash on and off. Nicholas knew what it meant; someone was trying to contact the team. He answered. To the vulpine's shock, a bit of a static image popped up. It was Katt's face and a bit of her upper body. The fox could see she wore a black jacket that had orange stripes on it. She was still pink, which must mean that the feline was still using the spray cans he had given her one year ago.

"S…OS… Falco…" Static replaced the next word. "Falco, do you read me?!" The next word was static. "Falco, someone, anyone, help, please! We're…" Again the words were just static. "Chased! We can't hold up much longer!" More static was heard. "Get us! Please if you can he…" The rest of the message was static as the image faded.

Nicholas immediately traced the signal with the computer in the room and saw that the message came from Titania.

"_Why would Katt be asking for Falco?_" the vulpine wondered. "_Unless…_" He did a quick scan of the planet and saw that The Great Fox from the Star Fox team was orbiting the planet. He knew that the avian flew with that team.

"Katt must have sent that message to both ships because she didn't have time to check who was who," said Nicholas out loud. But what should be done? The vulpine was getting a gut feeling that his team shouldn't do anything. They should let Star Fox handle this instead. But the fox didn't want Katt to die. Even though she wasn't a member of his team anymore, the feline was still a friend. But more importantly, what was Katt doing on this planet? And were the rest of the Hot Rodders with her?

He then got an idea. One that could work and get the answers to those questions.

X

The vulpine quickly had all of his team gathered in the room. "We just got a help call from Titania," said Nicholas. "It was sent by Katt."

"Then we should go help her!" Miyu exclaimed.

"Not so fast; we need to figure out the situation."

"What do you mean?!" asked the lynx. "You're going to let her get killed!"

"Calm down Miyu," said Nicholas. "You think I haven't done something? I already sent out three probing droids. They each have cameras to assess with what's going on. It's how I found Katt last time. And then there's the fact that another team is already in the area."

"Who are they?" asked Yuki.

"It's Star Fox." Everyone else felt shock come onto their faces.

"I know that the message Katt sent to us also got sent to them as well because that feline mentioned Falco's name. He flies with that team. I can already see from the computer that the one of their fighters is already moving in to help. My guess is that the rest of the team will soon move as well."

Miyu breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay then, so why did you call us?" she asked.

"I did it just in case we need to step in and help. However, I'm getting a gut feeling that we should let Star Fox handle this and stay out of their way. But if the situation does get out of hand, then we'll help. I want all of you to get to your ships in the hanger. I will stay in here and watch what happens. I want you to be ready to take off at any time, so wait for my signal. After you do that, I will join you."

The rest of the team left leaving the fox alone. He then turned his attention to the computer screen that had three images. Each one came from one of the droids. They could fly through the air and space, and crawl across any surface. They were also undetectable by mechanical means and could hide themselves from someone's view, making these the perfect spying tool. The droids also had self repairing systems. But even with that, Nicholas had to send out new ones to keep an eye on the Star Fox team so if an old one broke down, and floated off the Great Fox, the part Cerinian could still track the team. This happened quite often.

One image was from a droid that was following the Star Flight team. A second one had attached itself to the Arwing that had come from the Great Fox. The final one had already made it to Titania and had found Katt. Nicholas was now watching the image that was showing the pink feline. The vulpine hoped that help would arrive soon.

X

Meanwhile, Katt was running for her life on Titania. She and the Hot Rodders were being attacked by a Goras. The feline wondered why the hell nobody was coming. She had sent out the SOS. So where was the help?

Although Katt had sent the call to The Great Fox, the feline also had seen that the Star Flight team was near the planet. So she had sent it to both mother ships.

The looming shadow of the Goras caused Katt to come back to reality. She fired at it with her blaster. But the shot did nothing. The feline just stared in shock as the Goras reared for an attack. Suddenly she spotted an incoming Arwing and heard Falco's voice.

"Heh. Sorry I kept you waiting!"

The avian fired at the Goras for a bit, but then suddenly the creature vanished.

"Huh?" asked Falco. "Looks like it ran away…" He then landed the ship on the surface of the planet.

"Falco!" said Katt as she came running up to the Arwing. She then saw the avian get out.

"It's been a while, Katt," he said with a bit of a grimace on his beak.

Those words made the feline's mind go back to the past. Back when she and Falco first met, all the way up to the last time she saw him during the Lylat War and beyond that. It only took a few seconds to recall what had happened.

X

It was a few years ago before the Lylat War. Falco Lombardi was walking and thinking about his life at the moment. He was enrolled at the Cornerian Flight Academy. It had only been a year since the avian started there, and already he hated it. All those boring lectures and assignments. The pheasant didn't need that crap; he was already one of the best pilots of his class. Everyone could tell.

But no, he had to wait before graduating. Falco felt that he had everything needed in order to fly with the best. The avian did admit however that there was one student there that could be at his level; Fox McCloud. Although the vulpine was a year younger, the pheasant and the fox had developed a friendly rival relationship. Falco had also met Bill Grey and Slippy Toad who were also attending the academy as well.

He was so busy thinking about his situation that he didn't notice a pink feline coming towards him. The cat wasn't also paying attention because this person was also doing some thinking. The two crashed into each other and both species landed on the ground. Falco was ready to jump up and start yelling at whoever it was that had run into him. He then noticed that the person he had run into was a pink feline, and from the looks of this one, she was a girl.

Immediately Falco's anger dissolved. Although he wasn't interested in love and relationships, it didn't mean he had no manners when it came to females. Especially if he caused a problem for them. The avian was willing to help them out; to a certain point.

"Are you alright?" he asked. The cat looked up at him. She felt the blush come onto her face. This guy, even though he was an avian looked so cool and handsome. Just like her last boyfriend.

"I'm…. fine," she said while avoiding Falco's eyes.

"Here, let me help you." The avian held out a wing.

"Oh! No, I can get up!" said the feline and immediately stood up. Falco let out a smirk.

"Okay then," he said. The avian began to walk away.

"Wait!" said the feline. "What's your name?" The pheasant turned his head to look at her.

"Falco Lombardi. You?"

"I'm Katt Monroe." She then watched the avian walk off. "_He's hot,_" thought Katt. The feline was completely smitten over this bird.

X

A day later Falco was walking back to his apartment building after another day at the academy. The bird was now even more annoyed with the way his life was shaping out to be. He had had it with doing this. He was ready to move on.

The avian made his way to the apartment building that he was staying at. Falco looked up and saw a familiar pink feline trying to get in. She was holding what looked like to be groceries in both paws while trying to get the building key out of her pants pocket.

Falco was surprised by the fact that Katt was staying in the same building as him. Why hadn't he seen her before? He would have to ask her sometime.

"Need some help?"

The feline looked up, and saw Falco. She blushed and dropped the bags she was holding. "Oh... hey there," said Katt, completely nervous. "I… um…"

Falco got out his key and opened the door. "Here, I should give you a wing. Seems I've created a problem for you again." The feline thought about it for a second.

"Okay then," she said. The pheasant got her groceries and Katt lead him up to the second floor. Now the avian knew why he hadn't seen her before; he lived on the third floor. The two quickly made it to Katt's flat and she opened the door.

"You got it from here?" asked Falco. The feline nodded automatically. "Then I'll take my leave." The pheasant walked away, and Katt got a good look at his back. She loved how broad his shoulders were.

The next day was a Saturday and like usual, the avian got up late. Sure it was 10:00 in the morning, but it was late for him. Falco went down to a coffee shop for breakfast; like he'd been doing for the past year. He got his usual and was figuring out where to sit when he heard a voice call his name.

"Falco. Over here." He turned and saw Katt herself. The pink feline had coffee herself and was halfway through a jelly doughnut.

The avian decided he may as well humor her and talk to the cat. After all, he wanted to ask her when she moved in and why he had never noticed her before. It was just out of curiosity, and that was all. He made his way over.

"Katt; wasn't expecting to run into you again," he said as he took a seat.

"We seem to bump into each other quite a bit," she said with a smirk. Katt was blushing only a bit this time.

"I guess," said Falco and took a sip of his coffee. "So when did you move into the same building as me? And how come I've never noticed you before?"

"I only got in there a week ago," said the feline. "I managed to find it after saving enough credits to move to a place that was closer to my school."

"What would that be?"

"One to learn beauty techniques. I want to work in a hair salon that does work to make others look good. Not the usual ones, but ones that you would go to like if you needed your hair styled for a wedding."

When Katt said this, Falco could actually see her doing that kind of job.

"So how's it going?' asked the avian. He didn't mind talking to women at all.

"I'm halfway through it," said Katt. "Just one more year and I'll be finished."

"I see."

"So what about you? It's only fair you say since you asked me," said the feline with an amused looked on her face.

"I'm enrolled at the Cornerian Flight Academy right now, but..."

"But what?"

"It's just that I hate it," said Falco. "I'm already one of the best in my class. But no, I have to wait until graduating before I can fly with the best."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Katt. "It sounds like a bummer."

"Yeah. It's getting to the point that I'm actually thinking of dropping out and just going somewhere."

"Really? How are you going to do that?"

"I figured I could just find some other pilots out there and form a team. It certainly would be a lot better than what I'm going through right now."

"I see," said Katt. She hadn't suspected that this guy would be the kind to quit so easily. The feline turned her head and spotted an abandoned newspaper, left by some careless person. It was opened to the ads section. Katt then spotted a heading: Wanted; Pilots.

"Take a look at this!" she said and showed the pheasant the ad. It went on to say that a small group of about four had recently acquired a ship and needed others to help them pilot it.

"Maybe this could be what you need," said Katt.

"I guess it couldn't hurt," said Falco. He spotted the number below the ad and copied it down. He then called up and got an answer from a guy named Kool. The two agreed to meet the next day. The more the avian thought about it, the more he was sure that this was what he needed.

"So how did it go?" asked Katt when the call was finished.

"We're going to meet up tomorrow to discuss this."

"I'll come to." Her statement took Falco completely by surprise.

"No you're not," he said after a bit.

"Why can't I?" Katt seemed a little offend by what the avian said.

"The ad said they were only looking for pilots, not hair styliers, okay?"

"Look, I'm going to go with you." said the feline a bit sternly. "I'm sure they could use the extra help. Besides, during my off times at school I work out and take defense courses. A girl like me can attract the wrong kind of attention. I can take care of myself. I going, and that's final."

"Fine," said Falco. He could see that there was no arguing with Katt.

X

The next day Kool and Falco, along with Katt, met up to talk about this at one of the scrap yards near Corneria City. The two could see that Kool was a blue feline with leather cloths, had yellow hair, and blue eyes. Katt couldn't help but think that this new guy looked handsome, almost as much as Falco.

"Are you Falco?" asked the blue feline to the avian. The pheasant nodded, and the two shock. Kool then noticed Katt. "And who is this?"

"I'm Katt Monroe." The two shock paws.

"Well, I wasn't expecting a second one, but that's okay," said Kool. Suddenly another feline appeared. She had green eyes, and purple fur with some brown patches of fur. She also had long hair that went to her mid back. The right side was colored purple, the other side was grey. The newcomer spotted the avian and Katt.

"Are these the ones who answered the ad Kool?" she asked.

"Oh! Emily," said the blue feline. Katt couldn't help but notice that both of them had a little bit of blush on their faces when they made eye contact. Katt wondered if these two had a thing for each other. "Yeah, this is Falco and Katt. This is Emily."

"Nice to meet you," she said. Falco nodded and got right down to business.

"So where is this ship?"

"Follow us," said Emily. She and Kool took Katt and the avian to a section that held a ship; the exact same one that in the future would be seen by Star Flight.

"So what do you think?" asked Kool.

"What a piece of junk!" said Katt.

"This thing is more than she looks," said Emily. "We've made a lot of special modifications."

"By yourself?" asked Falco.

"We've had some help," said Kool. He pointed out to two figures on the top; a really short mouse and a crocodile. Katt and the avian learned that their names were Mouser and Bowsor.

Quickly Falco decided to help these guys and lead them. Katt also stated that she would come to. Everyone else said it was a good idea, so the avian allowed it. Little did he know that the pink feline did it to be closer to him.

They came up with the name the Hot Rodders and left Corneria. For several years, they did missions, just living a life or recklessness and adventure. Katt soon came to suspected that Kool and Emily loved each other. But even with that, the pink feline decided that if she couldn't get Falco to like her as she had come to like him, then she would try a shot with Kool. The pink feline also learned along with Falco that Kool, Emily, Mouser, and Bowsor had all come from Papetoon. The four had left the planet to seek out something better on Corneria.

During that time things continued to go well. The only thing that irritated Falco was that during every single mission he had to rescue Katt. She did it because she wanted him to. The pink feline had quickly fallen in love with him. But he didn't have the same feelings as her.

Then the Hot Rodders got a call from Fox McCloud. The vulpine needed a team to help fight against Andross who would soon declare war on the Lylat. Falco immediately said he would join this new team. The avian then stated to Kool that he would lead the Hot Rodders from now on, because the pheasant didn't have any plains on coming back. The blue feline accepted this.

Falco had come to learn that being a leader wasn't his thing. This was a good opportunity. Besides, the avian had had enough with saving Katt. The day he left was one the feline would remember too well.

"You're really going to do this?" she asked. "But we need you. And I need you."

"Why should it matter to you?" asked the avian.

"What if I need some help from you?" asked Katt sadly.

"Man!" said Falco. "So that's it? That's what you want from me?"

"What? No! I…" the feline trailed off.

"You expect me to come running every time you're in a jam? Forget it!" The pheasant walked to the ship that would take him to the Great Fox. The two then looked at each other, not saying anything.

"Bah," Falco finally said. "I'm just sick of you pretending I'm your lovebird, you know? I mean seriously. Grow up and get yourself some common sense! You're a bid girl now, Katt. You can handle these things yourself. You don't need me."

That was the last time Katt saw or heard Falco. She then left the Hot Rodders to find him. Unfortunately, things didn't go quite as smooth as the feline ended up getting attacked by a Venomian patrol squad. This made her want to stop Andross. She then stole an Invader III prototype and converted it into her own personal ship; the Cat's Paw.

During the Lylat Wars, the feline finally got reunited with the Falco on Zoness. She helped out the Star Fox team on that planet including Macbeth and Sector Z. When the war was over, Katt wondered if she should try to join Star Flight in order to be closer to Falco. But then she was found by Nicholas who had used a probing droid. The feline had been found near Zoness.

The part Cerinian knew how she had helped in the Lylat War and wanted her to join Star Flight. At first, Katt didn't want to, but then after hearing that she might run into Falco if she joined Star Flight, the feline said yes. She then donated her ship, the Cat's Paw over to Cornerian ship designers.

Dash was the next to come. He easily joined, even though the team learned of his connection with Andross. The only down side to this was the bad break up the snow monkey had with his girlfriend mainly due to the long distance that would be required. This made Dash not want to have a relationship. That is until he would meet Yuki Flower in the future.

Finally the team went to Aquas and met Amanda. The pink frog turned out to be really smart, and not too bad with handling a fighter. Someone like that was needed for Star Flight. The amphibian then joined the team. The group then headed to get Bill. Sometime after that, Nicholas told the newcomers about what he would eventually tell to Fara in the future, before the feline would tell a bit about her past. Not long after that, Katt had her genetic change.

X

By the time Katt reached Falco, she had finished with remembering the past. The two then found their way to a rock and began to talk. Little did they know that two of the droids Nicholas had sent out were watching them from above. The vulpine was able to clearly see and hear the two species.

He took a careful look at Falco. This was the first time that he'd ever laid eyes on the avian. The pheasant looked a bit like an asshole, but after seeing him fight the Goras, there was no denying that this bird was a topnotch pilot.

Nicholas quickly focused in on the conversation they were having. When he heard what they said about Captain Shears, the vulpine quickly looked to the other screen that the other probing droid was showing. The rest of the Star Fox team was already meeting with the Captain.

But there was nothing that Nicholas could do about it right now. After all, the situation hadn't gotten out of hand yet. Instead, he took a look at the three members that made up the rest of Star Fox. The fox saw what Peppy Hare looked like. He wore a grey overcoat, along with small, round framed glasses, an orange space suit, and his fur was white and grey. Nicholas could see a little bit of his daughter Lucy in the old hare. Oh if he knew that his daughter was close by.

Next Nicholas saw Slippy Toad. He wore a red cap with a yellow stripe on it along with a grey over coat, a red scarf, and a blue space suit.

Finally the vulpine saw Fox McCloud. He had green eyes, the typical orange and white fur like the part Cerinian, a grey overcoat, a red scarf, and a green space suit. To Nicholas, Fox looked like a guy who could get things done. But there was something else about this vulpine that the part Cerinian couldn't describe; it was something that made Nicholas feel that Fox would play a major role sometime in the future. Kinda like when the part Cerinian first met Star Wolf.

He then watched the events played out. The vulpine saw from the way Katt acted and talked after meeting up with Falco again that it was causing the feline to question her relationship with Kool. Nicholas saw how Fox managed to fight against Captain Shears and that the leader of Star Fox could wield a sword. The part Cerinian saw how Falco after getting shot down by Fox managed to come back and save the Hot Rodders. Finally Nicholas saw Andross come back and saw the mad scientist for the first time. There was a bit of Dash's mother in Andross's face. Nicholas guessed that Andrea looked more like her mother.

The vulpine watched as Captain Shears got crushed to death by Andross and saw how Fox managed to kill him a second time. Due to that, the base were the mad scientist was being cloned was destroyed. Fortunately, Fox made it out just fine. Nicholas watched as Falco then left the Star Fox team for awhile. Finally the part Cerinian watched as Fox delivered the avian's message to Katt.

"Falco.." said the feline. "… Thank you." Kool who had been standing next to her placed his arm on her shoulder. The Star Fox team and the Hot Rodders looked for a bit in the direction that Falco had taken off. Then Fox and his team left the planet, going in a direction where they wouldn't run into the mother ship of Star Flight.

Nicholas smiled and turned off the screens. It seems that his team didn't need to do a thing at all. Suddenly the communication screen began to flash on and off. The vulpine answered it and saw that it was Katt.

"Katt?!" he asked.

"Hello Nicholas," said the feline. "It's been some time."

"Yes it has. What's up?"

"I know you and the rest of your team are near Titania. There's something we need to talk about."

X

It didn't take long for the mother ship of the Star Flight team to make it where the Hot Rodders were who still hadn't left that planet. Nicholas made sure that the Star Fox team was out of the area completely before coming. The vulpine was thankful that when Falco had left the Titania, the avian had gone in a direction were he wouldn't run into the part Cerinian fox and his team.

The mother ship landed near the Hot Rodders and after a bit, the whole team came out. There was a bit of an emotional reunion for Katt and Star Flight. Especially when it came to Miyu; the lynx had missed the feline a lot. After the reunion was finished, Nicholas turned to Katt.

"So, what did you call us for?" asked the vulpine.

"Yeah, what's up Katt?" asked Kool. The pink feline let out a breath.

"Well actually we need to talk about something." Kool looked at Katt, wondering what she wanted to say. She took his paws into her own. "Kool I'm going to give it to you straight. I'm not going to play and kick around at this." She looked at him straight in the eyes as the words left her mouth quietly. "I think it would be best if I left the Hot Rodders and rejoined Star Flight, since I think we need to stop."

The blue feline took it in a strange kind of way. He was obviously but…not as sad as he thought he would have been. Maybe he was just so use to heart break he was done being over dramatic about the whole deal.

"Oh…" the blue feline merely said as he broke the eye contact for a moment.

"I'm sorry," said Katt. "But I just feel as though it's in the best interest for both of us."

"Well why exactly if you don't mind me asking?" She squeezed his paws in a gentle way as she tried to smile. It was small and weak but it was there.

"You're not happy."

"But I am happy." She didn't like the fact that Kool was fighting back her decision. "I've always been happy with you."

"No you're not Kool." The pink feline shot down any hope of him trying to turn her mind as she broke off the grip. The air felt cold against his paws that were heated with her warmth just a moment ago. "I know how you still feel about Emily. And being reunited with Falco has made me realized that my heart belongs to him. It has all along. Besides who do you think has more experience in this field; me or you?"

"You do," Kool said without a second thought, and then mentally kicked himself. He had just gave up any chance to try and salvage the relationship.

"I just know you're truly not happy with me, and I don't want to drag on what's not there. I know you really want to find Emily. You want to apologize for what you did and to be with her." It took him a moment to speak as he took everything in, but he could see there was no arguing with this feline.

"Okay." Kool scratched the back of his head as he looked to her with a small smile. "But we can still be friends can't we?"

"Of course we can." Katt smiled as well as she brought the blue feline into her arms. She patted his back softly as her smile widened. "You're one of my greatest friends Kool. I'm doing this because I care about your overall well being, and I just don't think it's with me."

"I understand."

"Don't even think for a moment that we can't talk to one another again, help each other, or anything." He pulled away as Katt lifted up a finger, making sure the message was clear. "Okay?"

"Sure thing." Kool didn't feel as bad with this break up as the last one. It hurt but with time it would heal. The relationship between him and Katt was loving and meaningful for the time it lasted.

"That sounds good," said Nicholas. "You should take her advice Kool. Go find this Emily person and try to get with her."

"But what if she doesn't want me back or has moved on?" asked the blue feline.

"That's just a risk you're going to have to take," said the vulpine. "If that is the case, then you'll have to figure out what to do. But if there's still a chance that Emily will forgive you, then take it."

"I don't know where she is. I don't know where to look."

"Then think and search your feelings," said Nicholas. "You'll find her. Is there some place or anything? Something that is special to her, you, or both?"

Kool thought, trying to remember. He then realized there was a place. And somehow, he knew that he was right. "There is," said the blue feline. "I think I know where she is."

"Then get going," said Nicholas. "You shouldn't keep the little lady waiting. Good luck."

"Thanks," said Kool, and he and the rest of the Hot Rodders went into their mother ship to help Katt get her stuff off of their ship so she could put it back on the mother ship of Star Flight. The pink feline took care of the spray cans so the other members of the Hot Rodders wouldn't see those objects. When the job was finished they took off, leaving the feline and the Star Flight team by themselves; just watching them go.

Author's notes: I've also started another story on YouTube. You can find it through this link for the first one: watch?v=fqCHIz8fk4c

You can then go to my channel to get the other parts.


	34. Chapter 34

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 34: Meeting Friends Again

Author's notes: Even though Star Fox did make a little of an appearance in the last chapter, it was mainly on a screen. So it isn't their official appearance. They will make it during the third part.

X

Katt then turned to the rest of the Star Flight team after the Hot Rodder's mother ship had left. "So is it alright if I rejoin this team?" she asked to Nicholas. He broke out in a smile.

"Of course Katt," said the vulpine. "It's great to have you back."

Everyone then helped the feline with her stuff that she had taken with her when first joining the Hot Rodders back to her room on the mother ship of Star Flight. The feline then went into the process of removing the dye that she had used. It took a bit of work with a shower, but eventually she was able to get her real black fur color to show. It had been fun being pink, but Katt had missed her changed look.

When it was finished, the now black and white feline made her way to the main control and briefing room. It was there that she told the rest of the team everything about her past except for the parts they knew, and what had happened to her during the year she had been with the Hot Rodders. Not much had happened with them at all.

Nicholas then talked about what happened during the incident on Titania except about Andross. He felt that it should be kept a secret. With Katt back, the vulpine felt that things in life were good.

X

A couple of weeks later, the leader of Star Flight was wondering if he and his team should return to Eladard. After all, there was nothing they could do here in the Lylat. But then something came up that would hold that trip off for now.

"Huh?! Weddings?!" asked Nicholas. "You mean…?"

"Yes," said Josh. "Me and Darcy are getting married. It's the same situation for Kelly and Dave, as well as Erin and Kyle, and Nate and Natalie."

The Star Flight team were meeting their school friends who told them that they had good news. But it was not what they were expecting.

"This is a surprise," said Fara. The vixen and the others looked to the eight who were engaged, and saw that they couldn't look any happier.

"But don't you think you're rushing things?" asked Nicholas. "Especially you Dave and Kelly? You two haven't been going out for that long compared to the others. And none of you are 25 yet."

"I can understand why you would think that," said Dave. "But the truth is that me and Kelly just click so well together. To us, it feels like we've been together for years. She's the only one I want to be with. In any case, my career for the future is set."

"You want to settle down so early?"

"There's no time like the present," said Kelly. "There's no need to wait."

"And that goes for us to," said Nate.

Nobody spoke for a few moments.

"Then I don't have anything else to say," said Nicholas. "Especially if this is what you want. So when will these weddings take place?"

"Me and Darcy will go first on November 3rd," said Josh. "Then Nate and Natalie's on November 6th, then Kyle and Erin's on November 8th, and finally Kelly and Dave's on November 10th."

"I see," said the vulpine.

The team got invited to the weddings and they said they would come. But before that could happen, there was one event that happened before those.

X

The event happened to be Bill's birthday which came on November 1st. On that day the canine was 23 years old, making him the second of the old team members to be at that age. Cody was the first, since his fell on October 15th.

After opening the presents and having cake in the dining room, Dash brought out some drinks to celebrate. Although Fara, Miyu, Luna, Lucy, weren't there yet, Fay asked if she could try the alcohol since she was almost 21. Her birthday came on November 5th and was second out of the seven. She was also the next one out of the group of girls who would turn 21. Nami was the first one since hers came on October 20th. Fara would be the last one when she reached the drinking age on April 13th.

After getting a glass of the liquid Fay sniffed the drink and stopped while grimacing.

"Fay," said Amanda who noticed. "You don't have to force yourself if you're not ready."

"No, I'm almost 21," said the collie. "I can have one cup at least. I have to for the team's sake."

"Fay…." said Nicholas, who was holding a glass of the alcohol as well."You have no idea how proud I am to call you my team mate."

"It really means a lot to you, huh?" said Bill to the vulpine.

"Here I go," said Fay. She began to drink the liquid.

"Wow; just look at her go!" said Ben. Fay finished but then became flushed in the face. She let out a hiccup.

"Uh… you okay? You look dizzy." said Bill. The collie looked at him.

"Hey Bill; you're so far away, why are you spinning?" she asked.

"Uh…" he said, as the collie got off her chair, stumbled over to him, and got really close to his face. She placed one paw on it.

"I like you up close," Fay said.

"Wow; you're drunk already, huh?' said Bill.

"I ain't drunk; how dare you!" said the collie.

"I hate to break it to you, but that's what all drunks say," the canine replied.

"Bill…" said Fay, getting a bit closer. The canine blushed as his heart began to beat faster.

"You two are so lovey dovey," said Nami.

"I don't think lovey dovey is the word for this," said Bill quickly, turning to the river otter.

"Hey Bill!" said Fay.

"Uh… yeah?" he asked turning back to her.

"I see you staring at Nami; you'd better cut that out!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" asked the canine.

"Yeah Bill; like what's the big deal, huh?" asked Nami.

"Huh?" he asked looking back at the she river otter. Her face was a bit flushed and was holding another glass that was full.

"Oh now you've got Nami drinking to; great!" the canine said sarcastically to Nicholas.

"Oh my Bill; could we be taking an interest in little old me?" she asked. By now, the rest of the team was watching with amusement.

"Bored with me already Bill?" asked Fay.

"Whoa; here comes the cat fight!" said Cody in a teasing voice

"One of those cats happens to be into you know!" Bill shot back.

"What? That can't be," said the black otter.

"Come on Bill; who do you like better?!" asked Fay.

"Oh my, is he going to confess his love to me?" asked Nami.

"What do you mean? I actually-" Bill got interrupted by Ben.

"It's denied; Nami's boobs are bigger!"

The canine couldn't help but look and then smacked his head with his paw for walking right into that one.

"Hey buddy! What are you getting all flustered about, huh?!" asked Fay.

"That proves he likes Nami after all," said Dash.

"No no no no no no no!" said Bill shaking his head back and forth really quickly while saying that very fast.

"You don't like me?" asked Nami, a bit hurt.

"No; it's not that!" he said. "I mean, I like you; as a person-"

"So you admit it?" asked Fay in a tearful voice.

"AURGH!" shouted the canine, gripping the sides of his head in agony. "What the fuck did I do to deserve this?!" Nicholas, Katt, Luna, Yuki, Lucy, Amanda, Miyu, and Fara let out a laugh.

"Okay, I think he's been teased long enough," said the vulpine.

"That's right," said Cody, turning to Nami. "Besides who cares if he like you or not. You've got the rest of us, right?"

"I wasn't teasing him," she said. "Maybe I was serious."

"What?! Now wait a minute!" shouted the male river otter.

"Come on Bill! Make up your mind!" said Fay. Not long after that, the party broke up.

Author's notes: Yeah, just a short, sweet chapter. I hope that's not a bad thing.


	35. Chapter 35

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 35: The Weddings

Later that night, Bill was in his room and on his bed. The canine was wondering what was going on with Fay and why she acted like she had during the party.

"Man did it get crazy," he said out loud.

"_But I wonder what happened with Fay?_" Bill wondered as he leaned back to lie on the furniture. "_She's never acted like that before. But Fay did get drunk on just one glass. I hope she will be able to handle more than that. Then again she did chug it down fast. But that collie doesn't take things like me so seriously… unless…_" He then sat up as an idea came to him.

"Unless… She was jealous?" asked Bill out loud. But he then shock it off. "No way! That couldn't have been the reason!"

"_But… I did like what Fay did at first._" The canine remembered the feeling of her soft paw on his face. He then smiled and got into his bed to sleep. He knew that the collie would act like her normal self tomorrow. After all, alcohol made people act in different ways while drunk.

X

His prediction proved to be true the next day. Fay was indeed acting like her usual self around the canine. She had no memory of what had happened after she had consumed the alcohol. Bill thought it would be best if the collie didn't know what had happened.

The time was now spent preparing for the wedding of Josh and Darcy along with the other ones. Fortunately, what the Star Flight team had to do wasn't too big of a challenge. Normally, the females on the team would wear different dresses to each wedding. However, since each one was in such close proximity of each other, there wasn't enough time to get a dress for each one. So the females had to compromise.

November 3rd came bright and crisp. This time, the Star Flight team went to the church were the first wedding would take place by using rental cars instead of traveling in the mother ship. They arrived early, and mingled and chatted with the other guests there.

But the time then came with everyone standing at the church pews. Josh, the minister, and the best man, who turned out to be one of the team members of the Rocket High varsity football team when the mountain lion was the captain. The bride's maids were Natalie, Erin, and Kelly.

The double doors opened to reveal Darcy looking beautiful in her wedding dress being lead down the aisle by her father. After they had made it to the altar, the female coyote gave her dad a peck on the check before making her way to Josh.

The vows were kept simple and when the mountain lion and the coyote kissed to mark their beginnings as husband and wife, it was the Star Flight team who clapped the loudest out of all.

During the reception, Darcy and Josh seemed to be emitting pure happiness as they barley seemed to let go of each other's paws. There was one moment when the coyote did. It was during the dancing and Fara was just watching Luna twirl with Nicholas. The vulpine promised to dance with both of them, but the vixen really wanted him to only dance with her. She then felt a presence behind her. Fara turned her head and saw Darcy.

"Enjoying yourself?" asked the coyote.

"Almost," said the vixen. The two then looked to Nicholas and Luna for a bit before Darcy spoke.

"I don't blame you for wanting to be with that vulpine; he's very good looking, almost as much as my husband."

Fara didn't say anything at first but continued to look at the fox she loved and the she wolf continuing to dance. Then she spoke.

"Well you're right about me waiting to be with him."

"Do you love him?" asked Darcy. The vixen went bright red and whipped her head to face her friend.

"How did you know?!" she whispered.

"Pretty much by looking. I'm not that blind. I don't think anyone else can tell. I don't think Nicholas can at least."

Fara let out a sad sigh. "I wish he could."

"Don't worry," said Darcy and gave the vixen a reassuring smile. "Just give it some more time. And if that doesn't work, then tell him."

"But he's stated that he's not interested in a relationship."

"He's still not?" asked the coyote, with her eyebrows raised. "Even now?" Fara nodded. "I'm speechless."

"It's true."

"Then they only thing you can do is just bid your time. If he does end up falling for you, you two will be so lucky. Not that I am already." Darcy then walked away to leave Fara with that.

Nicholas did manage to get some time in for the vixen during some of the other songs to Fara's relief. She monitored how he acted around her during this time. The vulpine looked like he was acting his normal self; not a hint was shown that he loved her. What she didn't know was that Nicholas did. He was just a very good actor.

X

The next event was Fay's birthday which came on November 5th. However, nothing major happened at all since there was the wedding of Nate and Natalie which would happen the next day on November 6th.

That wedding pretty much happened exactly like Josh and Darcy's. The only difference was that Fara wasn't talked to about her feelings for Nicholas. This time, Luna dance with Dave for a couple of songs for the last time as a way to remember all the times they had at dances during their senior year of high school.

Next the wedding of Kyle and Erin came before finishing with Kelly and Dave's turn. However, with those out of the way Nicholas figured the time had come for his team to return to his home planet. After discussing it with the team members, they all stated that it was probably for the best. They wanted to see the friends that they had made on that planet again in the flesh, even though contact had been made with them. And even if that weren't the case, there weren't any job requests for them.

After saying goodbye to their friends and family on Corneria, the team left the Lylat and returned to Eladard.

Author's notes: Another short chapter, but I promise the next one will be more interesting.

-Co-lord44


	36. Chapter 36

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 36: Fara's Advancement

Six months quickly passed after Star Flight returned to Eladard. The mother ship of the team was back in its transformed house shape at the empty space that it had stayed at the first time.

First came seeing the families of Nicholas, Ben, and Cody. Their parents had been doing fine. As for Lucas, the younger vulpine and his green colored vixen girlfriend Sarah were great. The two showed the team the place they had. True, it was only an apartment. But the time was coming when they would have enough credits to buy a house. Next came seeing how the friends they had left behind were doing. Mitch and Brooke were in the same situation as Lucas and Sarah were. The two wolves were just waiting until they had enough credits saved up before they could move into a real house.

As for Hui-Ying, Jazerc, Kralie, Saria, Pecker, and Celestia, those six had a surprise for Star Flight. The males had proposed to their girls not too long ago and all of them had said yes. They were all really happy and invited the team to the weddings which would take place during the seventh month after Star Flight returned. Naturally, their friends said they would come. Finally Reed and Hikari also had a surprise for Star Flight. They were both not only 16, they were also going out.

What had happened was that Reed had slowly begun to fall for the she wolf's charm, just like Hikari had hoped. Then after having some "dates", Reed kissed her before asking her out one night. The red she wolf responded with a joyful yes before kissing him on the lips with everything she had. The two were really happy to be together as a couple.

Then came the time to visit Tiger and Samantha, along with Sig, Kivuli, and Rina. The two silver mountain gorillas were also dating someone as well; two females of their own species. Rina had found a guy, another hyena like herself, and was going out with him. As for the jungle cat and snow leopard, the two were doing well. Especially their children Kakashi and Liru who had grown so much. The twins were getting closer to the day were they could walk. For now, they got around by crawling. The kits loved the time that was spent with Star Flight as the twins loved meeting new people.

The only ones who weren't visited were the rulers of Eladard because last time had been special. There wasn't a need to do so this time. The only other thing that had happened was that the friends on Corneria had been in contact with Star Flight. By this point, Darcy, Natalie, Erin, and Kelly were all pregnant. The would be mothers and their husbands were even more happy for the future children who would be born to them.

X

Meanwhile, Katt had proven that she was still in top notch form even after spending a year away with the Hot Rodders. The seven's training was just about complete before they would be on the same level as the others. But there were still a few things that they needed to do first.

One day, Fara happened to be at the pool on the mother ship. The vixen had done some laps, and was getting out where she had left her towel. After drying off, she began to walk towards the exit. But then, Fara slipped as she stepped onto some water that made the floor really slick. The vixen began to fall down and there was nothing to grab. She trusted out her right paw to break the fall. But the vixen landed awkwardly on the ground and felt her wrist crack. Pain lanced up her arm.

A steady stream of moans and curses came out from behind Fara's clenched teeth as she tried not to howl. This was the most painful thing that had happened to her physically. Half blind with pain, the vixen curled on the ground, cradling her arm. A second latter Yuki came in. The snow monkey had heard the noise and entered the room to see what had happened.

"Fara!" she exclaimed when she saw the vixen. "What happened?"

"Broke my wrist…did something stupid… fell."

"Let's get you to medical lab," said her friend who carefully helped the vixen up. By this point, the broken wrist Fara had was begging to swell up and turn red. It throbbed like mad.

Carefully, so as not to move the broken part of Fara around too much, Yuki took her to that area of the ship. Fortunately Jazz, the team's medic, was already there. He quickly scanned the vixen's right wrist and the three saw that it had been broken. The robot quickly had it in a splint.

"How do you feel now?" asked Yuki when the process was done.

"I can't feel any pain from it," said Fara.

"What's going on in here?" asked a familiar voice. Everyone looked up and saw it was Nicholas. The vixen let out a groan inside her head. She knew that the vulpine would have eventually seen the splint. But she would have liked it if he had seen it a bit latter.

"Fara's… broken her right wrist," said Yuki. Nicholas cursed and slammed his right fist on the door way.

"How did it happened?!" asked the vulpine; he wasn't happy at all.

"I just slipped and feel in the pool room," said Fara.

"God damn it! How could you let something like that happen?!" His words sparked some anger in the girl he secretly loved.

"It was an accident!" the vixen shouted back at Nicholas. "You think I did this on purpose?! Do you?!" The vulpine caught his breath as he began to calm down. He then walked over to her, which caused Fara to blush as her anger quickly faded.

"I don't," said Nicholas. "I'm sorry to yell at you like that. It's just that with your right arm like that, you won't be able to fly. And you're going to not be able to fight as you use to." It was also because he worried about her. But the vulpine wasn't about to say that.

"So what happens now?" asked Yuki. There was a pause.

"Her arm is going to take at least a couple of weeks to heal," said Nicholas. "By the time the weddings come around, it should be back to normal. However, this might be for the best."

"How?" asked Fara.

"I was wondering when a good time would be to teach you and the other seven on how to use your left paws to wield a beam sword. I know that it's the non dominate paw for you Fara. And you and the others need to learn how to in case something happens to your right. Every one of the old members can also use their left equally as well as their right. Even I can wield a weapon with both my paws equally."

Fara and Yuki thought about it for a bit and realized that what their leader said was the right thing to do. "Then I guess I'll do it," said the vixen. "I won't let my skills go rusty just because of my injury."

"That's the way to go," said Nicholas with a smile. The three then left the room.

During the weapon practice that day, the vulpine proposed the idea to the others who all agreed that it was a good idea. So what the other seven did was bound their right arm so that they couldn't even move it. Within a week, the seven reached the point that they could wield their beam swords as well with their left as they could with their right.

The seven also learned how to fire a blaster with their left as well as fighting with that same side. It wasn't easy, but they managed to get strong with their weak side. Nicholas watched all of them and knew it wouldn't be long before they would all be at the same level as the rest of the team. All that remand was one final test.

X

The next week came and it found the team practicing with weapons again. Nicholas and Fara were pared up since it was the vulpine's turn again. The two foxes silently activated their beam swords and took a ready stance. Neither of them moved as they waited for the other to strike first. The vixen took a quick look for something that might give her the advantage. Her half full water bottle caught Fara's attention.

She swooped down, grabbed it, and hurled it at Nicholas. The splint got in the way, and the vulpine easily sidestepped the object. He rushed forward, swinging his beam sword. Fara ducked just as the blade whistled over her head. She growled, and struck back ferociously.

The vixen began to attack using every combination and attacks that she knew. Fara flowed from one to the next. But Nicholas would counter attack forcing her to go on the defense, stopping her. Engaged in a fiery dance, their bodies were linked and separated by the flashing blades. At times they nearly touched, their fur only a hair's breadth away, but then momentum would whirl them apart, and they would withdraw for only a second, only to join again. Nicholas's long hair in its ponytail was whipping through the air.

Their battle was so furious, that it caused the other members of the team to stop their practicing and watch the two foxes fight.

Fara couldn't tell for how long she and Nicholas fought; time had no meaning at all, only action and reaction. She kept attacking in complex attacks and patterns. The beam swords were a blur of light. Nicholas kept blocking, and attacking himself, but the vixen could tell that he was beginning to tire. He felt it to, and knew that he had to end this quick. He was stronger when it came to his double bladed beam ax, pole arms, and his fists. He could go for longer periods of time while fighting with those. The vulpine wasn't use to using swords for such a long period of time, even though he knew how to wield them.

Suddenly, Fara felt the battle change as blow by blow, she gained the advantage. Nicholas's blows and parries slowed and he lost ground. The vixen easily blocked a stab from the vulpine. Suddenly confident, she swung her sword faster than ever, weaving a web of light around his sword. With a burst of speed, Fara smashed the flat of her blade against Nicholas's guard and knocked his weapon to the ground. Before he could react, she flicked her sword up to his throat.

They stood, panting, the tip of the vixen's beam weapon resting on the vulpine's collar bone, while sweat poured down their bodies. Fara slowly lowered her arm and backed away. This was the first time she had bested Nicholas without resorting to trickery. He picked up his beam sword and deactivated it. None of the others watching spoke.

"We're done for today," said Nicholas.

"But we just started," said Fara, startled.

The vulpine shook his head. "There is nothing more I or the others can teach you on how to wield a beam sword. Out of all the warriors I've fought, only four could have defeated me like that. And I doubt any one of them could have done it with their non dominate side. I may not be as proficient in wielding swords, but I can tell you're a talented and rare sword wielder."

"Does this mean we're not going to practice every day?" asked the vixen.

"Oh you're not getting out of it," said Nicholas with a laugh. "None of you seven are. But now we can go easy. It won't matter if for some reason we have to miss a day or two. Even when me and the other members of the old team got to where you are, we still continued to practice. And try to increase our skills if possible."

"So what now?"

"For now Fara, I suggest you continue to preserve your current level of wielding and try to improve. The best way is to find someone else, a master who can teach you even further. Just keep this in mind. Should you or any one of you have to fight against a pure or part Cerinian, be prepared for one hell of a fight; one that you might even loose. There are a couple of reasons why you won against me Fara. The first was that I'm more proficient in stuff like axes and pole arms. Anything from staves, spears, sickles, and things like that are no different than when I'm wielding my double bladed beam ax, which was the first weapon besides my fists that I learned how to use. The only reason why I took up the beam sword was just in case that was the only weapon around, or if something happened to one of my arms."

"Also I didn't use everything, especially my release, against you. If I did, you would be torn apart. But I don't plan on doing that. But now with this Fara, you're training is complete. You're on the same level as any one of the old members, including me."

The vixen just smiled as the others, including Luna, showed their enthusiasm.

"So what about the rest of us?" asked Nami when they had calmed down.

"You and the remaining seven will be tested as well," said Nicholas. "You'll go against one of the old members in a one on one fight. But you should be able to pass."

X

His words came true the next day when the remaining seven fought against one of the old members of the team and managed to win. Finally, all of them were at the same level as the others in terms of shooting, flying, handling guns, and fighting. The newcomers were now full fledge members of Star Flight.

Now that it had gotten to this point, Nicholas began to use his double bladed beam ax when it came to weapon practicing and would continue to do so. The power dial for the weapon was on the back of the handle in the middle. The vulpine felt that now that the seven were strong enough, he could use the weapon that he was most proficient at.

By the end of the month, Fara's wrist had completely healed. But Nicholas told her to wait a couple more days after it came out of the splint to let it get a bit stronger since it had been so long since she had last used it.

Two days later, the vixen was once again paired up with the vulpine. Fara placed the beam sword in her right paw and activated it. Nicholas did the same with his weapon. Without a word, the two foxes charged at each other. During their fight, the vulpine couldn't help but notice that the vixen kept switching the sword she had to her left paw and then her right. And didn't break her form when she did so.

"Halt!" said Nicholas after a bit which caused his opponent to stop.

"What is it?" she asked.

"There's something I want you to try." The vulpine went away for a bit and returned with the beam sword that he had used before.

"I want you to try to wield two beam swords at the same time," said Nicholas. "Plenty of people can do so." After giving Fara the new weapon, the vulpine gave a flick of his fingers. The vixen charged at him while activating her second sword. They continued to fight with their weapons. Yet Nicholas noticed that Fara was handling both swords equally well; even the one in her left paw as they dueled.

When the practice was over, the team went to do whatever they wanted to. But the vulpine now knew how Fara could get better.

X

Sometime during the next day, Nicholas met up with the vixen to talk about what he had found out.

"Yesterday when you fought me with two beam swords, I noticed that you handled them equally well."

"I did?' asked Fara, and the vulpine nodded before continuing.

"It made me wonder if maybe you should have two to use in battle. I think you can do it while throwing off your opponents with it. This is a chance for you to get stronger."

"The single beam sword seems to be the weapon you are the most strong with. It wouldn't make sense to learn how to wield one of the other ones we have. The problem is that all the other single beam swords are used by the other members," said Nicholas.

"What about the one you gave me?" asked Fara.

"When I was putting it away last night, a very heavy crate fell on it, which smashed it into pieces; putting it beyond repair. But there is one place we can try to get another one for you; in the vault."

The two foxes then went up to the trophy room and entered. Fara had become very familiar with this room. But now she was going to enter the one area of the mother ship that she hadn't been to yet. Nicholas had only told her a bit of what lay in. The vulpine and vixen approached the metal door. He pressed a section in the wall next to the entrance and a code pad appeared. After entering the correct sequence of numbers, the door opened to let the two in. But they left it open with a door stop because it would have been very foolish to not do so in case they ended up getting locked in if the door to the room closed by accident.

The vulpine led the vixen in who took a good look around. The room was lit with many lights that reflected off the metal walls, ceiling, and floor. Priceless looking gems and jewelry were on tables in the room. Shiny weapons with gems hung on the walls or on stands that glittered in the light. Fara then noticed a corner of the room. Her jaw dropped at the sight. In that part of the room was a see through glass box that went to the ceiling that had mounds and mounds of credits; more than the vixen had ever seen in her life. Just this huge amount could help two of the crew members easily retire at a young age.

Nicholas saw what she was looking at and her expression. "I wasn't lying when I said we had all the credits we earned invested," he said with a grin. "We have so much for anything that might come up."

Fara just closed her mouth and continued to look at everything else while the vulpine looked for the beam swords that were supposedly stashed in here. She didn't touch anything.

"Here we are," said the vulpine suddenly. He returned to the vixen caring five beam swords. "These are the only ones here. Try them out."

Fara took the first one Nicholas offered. Even before she activated it, she could tell that it wouldn't work. It didn't feel like an extension of her arm. The vixen shock her head. Nicholas gave her the next one and looked again for any more.

"I've tried them all," said Fara after a bit. "None of them work for me."

"Tricky, huh? We'll find one that will," said Nicholas. He then stopped at a sword like object wrapped in white cloth on a table. He took it off its stand and held it in his paws. "I wonder…." he said.

Fara looked to see him looking at her. He came back with the object and handed it to the vixen. The moment her paws touched it, Fara felt a sudden warmth in those parts of her body. She unwrapped the cloth to find a sword. The brown colored handle had markings on it, like the ones on Nicholas's Cerinian weapon. The grey colored hilt had an emerald planted on it. And the silver colored blade gleamed in the light with the exact same color. When it was fully out, it glowed with a faint golden light for a couple of moments. Both of the foxes' eyes widened with shock as it disappeared.

"Interesting. Very interesting," said Nicholas.

"What is?" asked Fara.

"That this Cerinian weapon has chosen you," said the vulpine. The vixen felt shock come onto her face.

"What? No, that can't be," she whispered.

"It is," said Nicholas. "Did you feel a warmth in your paws when you touched it?" The vixen nodded. "Then it is a sign that you are destined to have that weapon. That glow we saw is the final proof that you are destined to be its wielder. Remember those laws you read? It said that a Cerinian weapon can chose a non Cerinian. I also told you this in the past; each of the Cerinian weapons has a "conscious" that will bond with the one meant to wield it. It's happened before that non Cerinians have gotten one. But never in this circumstance."

Fara didn't know what to think. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that there was no getting around the fact that this sword was meant to be with her. And the fact was that it made her get closer to the vulpine she loved.

"Then I guess that I'll take it," she said.

"The same thing that happened to you happened to me and all the other part Cerinians you met when they got their weapons," said Nicholas. "But I didn't think this would happen."

"What do you mean?"

"I remember every Cerinian weapon I've come across," said the vulpine. "It so happens that the one you hold is only half of one complete sword staff weapon. Just one half. It is interesting that you should be destined for this weapon, not only because you're a non Cerinian, but that its other half gave me the scar on my chin."

The room seemed to get cold. Fara shivered a bit. "And… who owns the other half?" she finally asked. Nicholas's face went dark. The vixen realized that she never should have asked that question.

"If you know what's best, don't ever ask that again," the vulpine finally said.

"If you insist," said Fara.

"Now I have to teach you how to control its power," said Nicholas, his face going back to normal.

"Does it have it have a name?" asked the vixen.

"When it was a complete weapon it went by the name of Garjzla which means light in Ancient Cerinian. However, its two halves don't have names."

"Why did it get separated into two parts?"

"The one who originally owned this weapon, who lived long, long ago decided to separate Garjzla into two parts before her death because she wanted who ever would next take it up be given it in two separate parts."

"A female owned this weapon?" asked Fara, a bit shocked.

"A part Cerinian vixen by the name of Arya," said Nicholas. "She made the instructions on how to give the parts clear. The first half was to be given to a part Cerinian when the child reached the age of 13. Only when they had reached the maturing age of 21, and had proven their worth, was the time for the second half to be given to him or her."

Fara couldn't help but wonder what had happened with the other owner that had made it so that he or she didn't get the half she had now. But the vixen knew better than to ask.

"Does this weapon still have its power even though it's been split in two?"

"Yes," said Nicholas. "That's what so great about it. And it won't become stronger, even if it should be joined again with its other half."

The vulpine then quickly taught Fara on how to make the weapon go into its sealed form. All the vixen had to do was think it in her head. When she did, the sword transformed into a small silver object with lines on it that could attach to the vixen's necklace that she already wore. Nicholas than gave her a bracelet that can be hidden under her right glove. It was golden in color and had four emeralds on it in. The lines were also on it. Fara quickly put these things on. Nicholas then chose a small piece of jewelry that could be attached to his necklace for himself. It also had the lines on it, along with four emeralds.

"Now that we've got that finished, the next thing is getting it charged up with energy, including your jewelry," said Nicholas. "However, I think it would be best if we didn't tell anyone about this just yet. We will eventually, just not yet."

"I understand," said Fara.

The vulpine told his team the next day that the vixen was going to be trained by him for awhile.

"I won't say what just yet," he said. "But know this; Fara's going to get a lot stronger."

Nicholas had a look that said not to ask him what it was. Nobody thought any different, but Luna thought otherwise. It made her even more jealous of Fara because the vixen would be spending more time with the fox she loved.

He then began to train Fara on how to use the weapon she had be given. She had named it Arya in memory of the vixen who had once wielded it. Quickly, Fara learned how to use the energy attacks and began to develop her energy beam technique.


	37. Chapter 37

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 37: A Shadow is Sensed

The day for Jurassic and Hui-Ying's wedding came very quickly; much sooner than anyone suspected it would. They would go first, then Pecker and Celestia, and finally Kralie and Saria. This time, all the females of the team had managed to get three different dresses for each wedding. They had gone out to get them, the moment they heard the news.

Nicholas was surprised that his brother, Sarah, Mitch, Brooke, Reed, and Hikari had also been invited along with the parents. As it turned out those guys had formed a friendship with the soon to be newlyweds when the vulpine had left Eladard the first time. Looking back on how they knew each other, he was left to wonder why he hadn't figured it out.

The vulpine also knew that all of the seven were at the drinking age, so they could have the champagne that would be offered. It was hard to believe that so much time had passed since the girls had joined his team.

X

On the morning of, Nicholas woke up to his alarm as usual. He turned it off and got up with a yawn escaping him. By this point, the vulpine was used to the routine of marriage, since he'd been to so many of them lately. Maybe one day in the future it would be his turn, and his bride would be Fara. But until he told her that he loved her, he could only dream.

After taking care of his hygiene and putting some regular cloths on, the vulpine went around the ship, checking to see if the other members were up. Nicholas didn't want his team to be late since the wedding would take place in the early afternoon. The vulpine then took a look outside through one of the windows in the hallway. He could see the scenery that showed that the mother ship was at Borneo; the place where Hui-Ying and Jurassic had been born and raised for most of their lives. The wedding would take place in a huge open temple.

All too soon, the time came to get ready. Nicholas quickly had his long yellow hair braided and in a pony tail; just like all the other special occasions. The vulpine then made his way down to the living room area of the mother ship to wait for the others.

They came out one by one looking either beautiful or handsome in general. Fara was the last one to step out into the living room. She was wearing the necklace that Nicholas had given her during their first Christmas. Her Cerinian weapon was also being worn on the chain in its sealed form. On her right wrist was the bracelet that had come from the vault. But what made her the most beautiful was the dress she wore. It was a fire red one that had pink strings that went over her shoulder.

When she saw the vulpine, she gave him a quick smile that seemed to make her beauty more intense. Nicholas had to invoke a lot of self control to not lose control and freak out. He was making strange noises as he gasped at her beauty, but nobody else noticed him.

"I take it we're ready?" asked the vixen.

"Pretty much," said Ben.

"This is definitely going to be fun," said Lucy.

"So then are you ready to lead us?" asked Fara to Nicholas. He stopped with the noises and focused on her. The vulpine just nodded. "You know, you look very cool and handsome by the way, Nicholas."

The vulpine let out a silent gasp. He then placed two fingers from his right paw over his mouth and his right thumb on his right check. The other two fingers went under his chin as Nicholas felt blush come onto his face until he was bright red. The vulpine made no comment for a few seconds while looking away from Fara. "Uh… thanks," he finally said. The other members except for the vixen and Miyu were giving him a strange look. Not once since Fara gave him a complement did he become flustered like that.

The vulpine then noticed his team members. "What?" he asked, his face going back to normal very quickly, and his right paw went down. "We need to get going so we aren't late." The all left the ship while Nicholas was thinking hard. He had almost slipped up in pretending he didn't love Fara. The vulpine had to make sure that something like that didn't happen again. The fox then found her walking by his side.

"You got really red in the face for a few seconds just now," she said. "Everything all right?"

"Yeah," Nicholas quickly responded. He was able to keep his cool this time. "Nothing to worry about."

"What do you think of what I'm wearing?"

"You look beautiful in it," said the vulpine; he was still keeping his cool and not messing up.

"But should I wear the "special stuff" you gave me? Won't others think you might have given me things that are of your race?"

"Non Cerinians have been given Cerinian jewelry before. We'll just let everyone else assume that those things are gifts I gave you. Nobody will be able to tell otherwise. Especially the thing on your necklace. No pure blood Cerinians or part ones are able to tell if someone is caring a Cerinian weapon as long as it's in its sealed form."

"I see," said Fara, and took a quick look back to see if any one of the other team members had been listening into their conversation. They hadn't at all since they were talking amongst themselves. By this point in time, the vixen had managed to master all of the energy techniques possible that all Cerinian weapons had, and was halfway finished with creating her energy beam technique.

X

Meanwhile the soon to be bride herself was just waking up. Hui-Ying opened her eyes and immediately realized what today was. The thought of what was to come made her excited and filled her with joy.

As she was getting ready, Hui-Ying couldn't help but giggle joyfully she was finally getting married to Jurassic, the only panda she knew that loved her so deeply that he once bought a whole bunch of roses and sent them to her apartment just because he wanted to tell her he loved her. It was very sweet and the female panda had paid him back for his kindness by giving him the best sex he had ever had. Just the thought of seeing Jurassic's member made the female panda shiver with lust, she loved him not just because he was brave, smart, loving, and a wonderful guy, but he was gifted where it counted when it came to the bedroom. "_I should hold on to those thoughts; I can use them tonight when I'm alone with Jurassic,_" Hui-Ying though. She giggled, while putting her paw over her mouth to hold back her laugh.

Very quickly, she and her parents made it to the temple and were in the room getting her in her wedding dress. The hair styler was also there, putting the finishing touches on that part of Hui-Ying. The female panda knew that some where her Jurassic was close by, getting ready himself.

Outside in a big open area were the pews had been placed, the wedding guests chatted amongst themselves. Nicholas's prediction on what he said to Fara about her wearing the Cerinian stuff came true as everyone else assumed that the things were just gifts that the vulpine gave the vixen. They thought it suited her well.

The time then came and everyone took their places. The traditional wedding music began to play, and everyone turned their attention to the archway were the bride would emerge. Jurassic stood at one end of the open area with the minister on a makeshift altar. You could see the beautiful mountain scene behind them, and the valley below.

Hui-Ying being lead by her father appeared and made their way towards altar. Her mother and Jurassic's had tears of joy in their eyes, while his father looked on with pride. This day would be one to remember.

Hui-Ying and her dad made it. The older male panda gave her a gentle squeeze before making his way to his wife. The bride in turn went to her soon to be husband. The vows were quickly exchanged, before the two kissed, marking their start as newlyweds.

The reception flowed quickly after that. First Hui-Ying tossed the flowers, and they were caught by Sarah. She turned her gaze to Lucas and the two locked eyes with each other. Then everyone came to congratulate the two young pandas. Nicholas was the first in line.

Congratulations to you two," said the vulpine to the newlyweds. "I'm really happy for both of you."

"Thank you," said Jurassic, as his right arm went around his wife.

"I guess you beat me at something Hui-Ying; you got married first," said the vulpine. "I guess it makes sense since I did defeat you during the tournament."

"I suppose," said the female panda. "So what about you? Do you plan on getting hitched yourself?"

"Well seeing as how I didn't catch the flowers, it won't be happing," said Nicholas. "At least not yet." The image of him and Fara getting married came back to the vulpine's mind. He was thankful that nobody else could read his mind and see this. "However, Sarah might seeing how she caught them." The fox then realized what it meant, and began to laugh.

"What's so funny Nicholas?" Jurassic asked.

"I was just thinking that since that green vixen is dating my brother, I wouldn't be amazed if she and Lucas will be the next ones to get married." The vulpine laughed some more, thinking how nice it would be if his little brother got hitched to such a wonderful girl. A bit of a line was forming, so Nicholas waved goodbye and went to a table to wait for a few of his team mates before heading to the food.

During the reception, everyone ate, talked, or danced with each other. Fara had gotten up to talk with Tiger and Samantha who had brought the twins with them. Nicholas sat at a table not too far away, just nursing a glass of champagne while watching her with a smile.

"Having a good time?" said a voice. The vulpine turned his head to see his mom and dad standing next to him.

"Oh, yeah."

"I never thought she would get married before you," said Vincent. "I figured it would be you."

"Well things happen for a reason," said a son. "Or at least a lot of them do. Maybe it was suppose to happen this way." The three didn't speak for a few moments. Linden and Vincent noticed that Nicholas had turned his gaze back to Fara. The mother fox than spoke up.

"Can we talk about something?"

"Sure mom, what is it?" asked the younger vulpine.

"You seem to be staring at Fara quite a bit." Her son flushed and quickly turned his head away from the older vixen.

"I've noticed it to," said Vincent. "Is something going on between you two?"

"There's nothing," said Nicholas quickly, while going even redder.

"That's what you've said before, but I think it's different this time," said Linden. "I'd say you like Fara."

Her son's face went crimson as he let out one of the strangest noises he had ever made in his life. His parents let him sweat it out for a minute until he calmed down.

"How did you know?!" he asked in a shocked whisper. "I thought I was doing a good job of acting like I didn't!"

"I'm your mother," said Linden. "I can just tell by looking. I don't have to read your mind to know." The younger vulpine said nothing but just took a sip of his champagne.

"Just don't say anything about this to anyone," said Nicholas after he swallowed the liquid. "I don't want everyone to know."

"Of course," said Vincent. "We won't say anything."

"But I must know; how did it happen?" asked Linden. Her son then told a short summarized version of how it happened.

"And then I realized that it was more than just liking her," he said. "I realized that I loved Fara." The three foxes went silent for a bit.

"All I can say is that I'm really happy that you found love again," said Linden. That vixen had helped her son just like the mother fox had hoped. "Do you plan to tell her?"

"I will," said Nicholas. "But not right now. Something is telling me that now is not the time." He then looked up and saw the said vixen approaching him.

"Nicholas," she said, and then saw his parents next to the younger vulpine. She nodded to them before speaking. "Are you doing alright?"

"Sure I am," he said and got up. "Let's dance." The young vulpine held out his right paw and the young vixen took it. He lead her out to the dance floor were they began to spin around. His parents watched with smiles on their faces.

"I can tell he's feeling very happy right now," said Linden. "I'm glad he's recovered."

"Me to," said Vincent. "Same for Lucas that he's happy as well. You saw Sarah catch the flowers."

"Oh, I'll be so happy if they get married. And the same goes for Fara and Nicholas."

"It will be a happy day for all of us," said her husband. "I can see our sons are out on the dance floor. Let's show them how it's done." The two older foxes went out to the dance floor to join the others there as a new song came on.

X

The wedding of the two pandas ended on a high, happy note. But two days later, the wedding of Pecker and Celestia took place. This time in a wedding chapel of the palace where Equila and Nova ruled from. It was the perfect place since their son would eventually rule in their stead. And Celestia would be by his side as the next wind queen.

The wedding for those two quickly flowed smoothly. The moment were the soon to be wife of the avian being led down the aisle by her father was one of the most beautiful moments of Pecker's life. They exchanged their vows before kissing to mark their new beginning.

The reception party took place in the castle ball room. When the bride and groom entered, everyone clapped and cheered for them. A huge amount of girls scrambled and surrounded the couple. Pecker smiled, and nodded to his wife. Celestia sniffed her bouquet of flowers and tossed them out to the crowd, which got caught by Bryn. She took in their sweet scent, and looked to her right to see an attractive raven at her side. He had a ring on his right index finger that had lines on it like Cerinian weapons and jewelry indicating that he was a part Cerinian. The two locked gazes for a moment.

The reception party passed as the wedding guests ate, drank, danced, and talked. Nicholas once again was one of the first to congratulate the newlyweds, before his team got to them. This time, no feelings were discussed at all.

X

Finally the wedding of Kralie and Saria took place. This one happened at a large church in the capital city of Dalgon.

It all seemed to happen so fast as the guests stood in front of the altar. Saria came being lead down by her father to the altar. She gave him a small hug before making her way to Kralie. The vows were exchanged and then the two kissed to officially become husband and wife.

During the beginning of the reception, Saria tossed the flowers out into the crowd. Brooke was the one who caught them with a surprised look on her face. The she wolf then blushed as she turned her gaze to Mitch. The two locked eyes with each other. Reed and Hikari both saw this and shared a small laugh. The two young wolves thought it would be wonderful if the two got married.

The party ended, and it found the Star Flight team back on the mother ship.

"Those were some weddings," said Fay.

"They were certainly a lot of fun," said Yuki.

"I'm just glad that we got a break from the weddings on Corneria before we went to these," said Nami.

"Hopefully there won't be any for awhile," said Lucy.

Nicholas had been silent the entire time on the way back and Luna turned to him. "You've been quite the entire time," said the she wolf. "Is everything all right?"

"I don't know," said the vulpine. "I've just got a really bad feeling."

"What do you mean?' asked Ben."I'd say things are perfect."

"And that's what's making me worried. I can't shake this off."

"What do you think it is?' asked Cody. Nicholas didn't speak for a moment.

"I think it's a bad feeling that something is coming," said the vulpine. "Something that isn't good that is approaching Eladard. Something that I haven't seen in a long time."

Nobody spoke for a minute.

"So what should we do?" asked Fara.

"For now, just keep your eyes open," said her leader. "And be ready for anything."

X

And he was right. Because some distance away from Eladard, something evil was approaching the planet. A sinister looking space ship got closer to it.

Inside a figure wearing a dark colored purple cloak was walking down a hallway. The article of clothing covered the body and the hood completely covered the face. Only black leather boots could be seen under the cloak. But the figure was a female; the indentations of her boobs could be seen.

She made her way to the main area of the evil looking ship and entered. Inside there were other cloaked figures of different species. But nothing could be seen of their bodies; only black colored boots, and heights. But there were a few females, along with males in the room.

The one who entered made her way to the end of the room. Another figure sat on a throne in a black cloak that covered the entire body and face except the black boots that had gold trim on them. The female in the purple cloak knelt before the figure.

"Arise," said the cloaked being, the voice showing that it was a male. The female got up and got close to him. She leaned forward and the two met in a kiss that was hidden by their hoods. They came apart after a few moments. "What is the word, my dear?" asked the male on the thrown.

"Our armies are ready, and those who we hate are all on Eladard honey," said the female in the purple cloak.

"About time," said a male in an orange cloak. "I've been waiting a long time for this."

"We all have," said another male in a poison looking green cloak. "To either take what is rightfully ours or to have revenge."

"The fools won't know what's coming for them," said a female in a blue cloak.

The male on the thrown stood up. "The time we've been waiting for has arrived," he said as the female who had kissed him took her place next to him. "Be prepared, for we leave soon." His head rose up a bit and everyone could see his eyes. They seemed to glow. Where the whites should have been, the area was colored black, and the pupils were colored red. Just like those who did the first state of Hiita's Rage.


	38. Chapter 38

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 38: They're Back

A couple of weeks pasted since the three weddings were held. The newlyweds had come back from the honeymoons. Now everyone was waiting when the news would come of pregnancy. Then it came on the last day of the second week, and the beginning of the third week. Hui-Ying, Celestia, and Saria found out that they had a child inside their womb by using their telepathy powers. Their husbands had been trying to sense any sign of life for days themselves, and were shocked when they sensed it at last. The shock then turned to joy before the newlyweds announced it to everyone. Their friends and family were happy for them.

But not everything seemed that way. Nicholas still couldn't shake off the feeling that something was coming. Something that would attack without hesitation. Not just at him, but everyone else. And he wasn't the only one. Lucas, Tiger, and Samantha also had it to. But life still continued on as usual.

Kakashi and Liru had managed to take their first steps, much to their parents' joy. The kits were beginning to put more and more words together and would be talking before long. Tiger and Samantha couldn't believe how fast their children were growing up.

Fara in the mean time was very close to completing her energy beam technique. During one training session with Nicholas, the vixen asked him a question. "Do you have an idea of when we should let the team know about what I've been given?"

"Yes," said the vulpine. "I'd say that when you've completed your energy beam technique, we can then let the rest of the team members know about it. That way, you can practice using some of the techniques when it comes to our weapon practicing. Just make sure you hold back a little bit so you don't severally injury or kill them."

"Of course," said Fara. Things seemed so perfect. But in just a little bit, life would become hectic.

X

On the fifth day of the third week after the weddings, six figures descended onto Eladard by using personal ships, the same size as the ones used by the members of Star Flight. They landed somewhere outside of Teirm, and got out. They were six of the cloaked figures from the sinister ship. There were four males and two females. Five of them were the ones who wore the black, purple, blue, orange, and the poison looking green cloaks. The sixth one wore a yellow colored one. This figure also was wearing black boots and had the looks of a male.

"So what's the plan?" the same figure asked, revealing that it was a guy. Suddenly the male in the black cloak flinched and grabbed something that was about chest level.

"Are you alright?" asked the female in the purple cloak, concern in her voice.

"I'm fine," he said. "It's just that my weapon is resonating. The other half I've been looking for is here on Eladard in Teirm."

"Can you see who is carrying it?" asked the male in the orange cloak. The male in the black cloak went silent as he closed his eyes for a moment. He then got a picture in his head.

"I see a vixen with light brown fur," he said. "She has green eyes, and is wearing a light pink colored helmet, and a white vest over a purple shirt that leaves the stomach exposed. She has dark grey fingerless gloves, green pants, a regular belt colored black, and light grey colored boots. She is also wearing a necklace that has a golden heart on it. Inside is a case that has an emerald. And on it is an object that looks the same as my weapon in its sealed form."

"We must find this vixen; she shouldn't be too hard to find," said the female in the blue cloak. "There can't be too many like her. Finding this girl is the only way so your weapon can be completed."

"We now have a new objective," said the figure in the black cloak. "Not only are we testing the defenses of Eladard, now we must find the one who I just described. We'll split up into two groups. Krew, I want you Sqeak and Jason to be one. I'll go with the others."

"I understand," said the male in the orange cloak.

"If you must fight, make it quick," said the male in the black cloak. "Don't let it draw out."

"I understand," said Krew.

"Let's go," said the male in the black cloak. The party of six then went their separate ways towards Teirm.

X

It took a day for the two groups to reach the outskirts of the capital city. Early the next morning, they made their way with Krew, Sqeak, and Jason approaching the south end of Teirm, and the others coming from the north. It was foggy that morning as the three from the south approached the gate way. The guard, a weasel, looked up when he saw them.

"Um, excuse me…" he trailed off. Jason, Krew, and Sqeak stopped. From the cloak of Sqeak on the left side, a glint of something shiny like metal appeared A jet of gas came out and hit the guard in the face before he could react. The weasel's eyes fluttered before closing as he got knocked out. Jason, Krew, and Sqeak continued on their way into Teirm, disappearing into the fog.

Meanwhile, the city was just beginning to wake up. The members of Star Flight were out and about enjoying the nice day. They weren't the only ones as Lucas, Sarah, Tiger, and Samantha were also up as well to name a few. Even though it was for errands, it was a good excuse to get out.

However, the people of the city were being watched by the six. If Krew's group were to find the vixen they were looking for or any information on her, they were immediately supposed to contact the one in black by using communicators.

"Have you spotted her yet?" asked Jason as the three watched from a high ledge.

"Not yet," said Krew. "Perhaps we should ask around. It couldn't hurt."

"All the same, we should be careful about asking," said Sqeak. "People might get suspicious. Let's start at a food place. For one thing a lot of people go there, and two, I'm hungry."

"Let's go," said Krew.

Sometime later found Pecker outside of a dumpling shop, while reading a book. He then heard the sound of four people approaching. He looked up and saw Tiger, Samantha, Lucas, and Sarah. He closed the book with a smile on his beak.

"Hey there guys," said the avian. "I wasn't expecting to see you four. What brings you by?"

"That's our line," said Lucas. He was holding paws with Sarah. "Shouldn't you be with Celestia at Skyfall?"

"I'm doing a quick errand for my mom, she loves these dumplings," Pecker replied. "What about you Tiger and Samantha? Shouldn't you be with the twins?"

"Kakashi and Liru are being watched by my folks," said the jungle cat. He was also holding paws with Samantha. "We came down here to also get some dumplings as well. But your story doesn't sound totally true."

"Well…" said Pecker, his voice going down a bit."I was originally, but I'm also keeping an eye on three people who came in here not too long ago since they look shady." His eyes glanced inside the shop that had no doors so conversations on the inside and outside could be easily heard to see three cloaked figures. The same ones who had come into Teirm from the south. But the avian didn't know this. Suddenly Nicholas came up to the group.

"Pecker, Lucas, Sarah, Tiger, and Samantha," said the vulpine. "Wasn't expecting to run into all of you."

"Same here Nicholas," said Lucas, and he and the others casted their gazes quickly to the cloaked figures. Krew was drinking some tea and his right paw could be seen out of the cloak. It was brown in color and had a light, green fingerless glove on it. When he heard the name Nicholas, his fingers twitched for just the slightest second before going still.

"You know Nicholas," said Samantha, as she and the others were getting more and more suspicious of the three cloaked figures by the second, "I've been meaning to ask you for a bit. Where exactly did you get Fara that Cerinian jewelry? It was nice of you."

"The thing attached to her necklace with the heart you mean? That came from my ship's vault. Why?"

"Just wondering," said the snow leopard. The others glanced and saw that the cloaked figures were getting up and heading out the other exit. Nicholas cast his gaze into the shop to see nobody. He had a confused look on his face as he could see everyone else looking into the same building but didn't see anything unusual.

Pecker turned his head to the others. Tiger, Samantha, and Sarah nodded and took off. Nicholas noticed this and also saw that Lucas wasn't going with his vixen girlfriend. "_Something's up,_" thought the vulpine. He then went down the street, leaving his brother and the avian.

Jason, Krew, and Sqeak were walking along a walkway that had water running next to it; just clean liquid to add a bit of decoration to Teirm. The three then stopped when they noticed Tiger, Samantha, and Sarah standing in front of them. Nobody spoke for a few moments.

"You three are not from this planet, are you?" asked Tiger. "Why did you come here?"

Jason then spoke up. "It's been a long time, Tiger, Samantha."

"If you know our names you must be a part Cerinian from our generation," said the jungle cat.

"I'm surprise that you don't recognize my voice," said Jason. From the right side of his cloak, a golden colored paw came out. On the wrist was a silver colored bracelet with lines on it. The paw reached up to the head of his cloak and pulled a bit of it and moved it so that part of his face could be seen along with a purple colored eye. The face was also a golden color.

Tiger and Samantha's eyes widen with shock as they recognized Jason. "Y-You're…" said the snow leopard, as she felt old anger and fear going through her body. The golden colored specie slowly removed his cloak to reveal his whole body. Jason was a jaguar with purple eyes, a pink noise, and golden color fur all over his body. Under his left ear was a red mark that looked like three triangles. He was wearing a white, sleeveless shirt that had a silver necklace which had an orange gem and lines on it. On his left wrist was a white colored bracelet that had four more orange gems on it. The male jaguar had grey colored pants and black boots. Finally the spiral tattoos of the Cerinians could be seen on his arms.

"Well what do you know," said Tiger. "If it isn't Jason; Jason Myers." His eyes were bearing hate at the jaguar.

"Friends of yours Jason?" asked Sqeak. "Then I should introduce myself as well."

"Same with me," said Krew. They both took of their cloaks.

Sarah's eyes widened with shock and fear as she saw Sqeak. He was a rat, just as tall as Tiger with long, brown hair. His left eye was missing; in its place was a cyber eye colored grey while the pupil was yellow. Under the right eye that was also colored yellow was another red marking. This one was only a small line. The fur color was grey, and the muscles on the male rat could clearly be seen underneath his sleeveless green shirt, and white colored pants. On his right paw, Sqeak wore a black, fingerless glove. On his left arm was an infinity like symbol going all around the bicep. And where the left paw should have been, there was a metal claw.

Krew was a wolf with brown colored fur. He had the same triangle marking as Jason, on his was on the forehead. He had orange eyes, and a scar running right next to the mouth was on his face. The neck and muzzles were white. He wore a white, sleeveless shirt that had two golden colored bands that went from the shoulder, and around the back. One just had lines on it, but the other had three purple gems on it. The lupine also wore a golden colored belt which also had lines on it, and only one purple gem. Below that were white pants with black boots. His arms could be seen and they had the spiral tattoos on them as well. On the left arm. a strange red tattoo like thing was on the forearm. Both of his paws had light green fingerless gloves. Finally his tail had some white on the end of it.

"The name is Sqeak Fola," said the rat.

"And I'm Krew Scout," said the lupine. "Perhaps we can get acquainted… later."

"Why bother," said Tiger. "When I can just mop the floor with all three of you."

"Wow," said Sqeak. "Seems we're really hated."

"Of course," said Samantha with anger on her face. "We know all about you Sqeak and Krew. Sqeak, you were once a brilliant mechanic who was granted a Cerinian weapon until you got busted for doing dangerous experiments and were banished. As for you Krew, you were once a soldier in our army. Until you went rouge and murdered your commander and other troops."

"You three are all high S-ranked criminals that are wanted by the law and in the bingo book," said Sarah who had managed to get her courage back and was glaring at Sqeak.

"I see you're not afraid of me at all," said the rat.

"You know you've got a lot of guts to come back after the shit you pulled Jason," said Tiger.

"I'm warning you three," said Krew. "It's not in my intention to kill you. Just stay out of our way."

"You know that's pretty hilarious considering your back ground," said the jungle cat. "I know you wouldn't come here without a reason. What is your purpose?"

Jason suddenly made a move with his right paw. From his right bracelet a Khyber knife, the length of a long sword, came out. It had two orange gems on it with lines on the brown colored handle. The blade was colored grey. The jaguar swung the Cerinian weapon onto the ground.

"Now this bastard is getting on my nerves," he said. "Can I kill him?"

"Well alright," said Krew. "We're not going to leave without a fight. Just make sure to not go overboard. Sometimes your moves stand out."

"Then it's settled," said Jason. He placed his Cerinian weapon on his right shoulder. "I can see the wedding rings you have Tiger and Samantha. Killing you two and your offspring will be much more fun; once I'm doing having my way with you Samantha."

"I won't let you lay a finger on them," said the snow leopard with a growl. "And you won't get to me at all."

"We'll see," said the jaguar.

Krew and Sqeak also made move with their paws. From the lupine's belt, came a long knife; almost the length of a short sword. The blade was white in color, and had a brown color handle with two purple gems and lines on it. The handle curved up in points, and there was a hole on the bottom of the handle so that a finger could fit in it. The rat's Cerinian weapon came from his robotic eye that was a ball and chain. The head was black and fastened by a chain that went to a blue handle that had line on it with two yellow gems. Then two pieces of jewelry appeared on the rat. One, a bracelet on the right wrist that was golden in color and had four yellow gems on it, and the other, an arm band that had lines on it and one yellow gem.

As soon as those two weapons came out, Jason swung his weapon down at Tiger, who jumped back to avoid it. The jungle cat's right went underneath the neck of his shirt and brought out a necklace. Attached to it was a grey colored square that had two points on it and lines. The jaguar came in for another strike. From Tiger's necklace came his Cerinian weapon. It was a scimitar, with a blue colored handle with lines and two light colored orange gems. The blade was white in color, and had three points near the handle while the tip had another one. The jungle cat stopped Jason's overhead cut with his weapon.

Meanwhile, Samantha and Sarah took some steps back and brought out a necklace from underneath their shirts. The snow leopard's had a grey colored triangle with lines on it, while the vixen's was also grey and had lines, but was in a twisted H like shape. Then their weapons came out and into their right paws. Samantha's was a medium length sword that had two pink gems and a golden handle with line on it. The blade was also colored white and a small bit of the bottom of the blade was attached to the handle but then jutted out on both sides and went up at angles going inward. The ended at two points and in the middle of that was another point. Sarah's weapon was a knife that had a white handle and two red gems with lines on it. At the bottom of the handle was a hole so that a finger could go through it. The blade's color was silver, and there was a line in the middle of it. Samantha then went for Sqeak while Sarah went after Krew.

Jason in the meantime was just pressing down with his weapon, with the tip being blocked by Tiger's. The jaguar smirked as his sword got closer to the jungle cat's left shoulder.

"_He's only using the tip,_" thought Tiger. "_How much stronger has he gotten?!_"

The knife like weapon of his opponent then got the jungles cat's weapon to the shoulder. Jason quickly pulled back, and Tiger wasn't able to respond as he got cut by the jaguar.

"The first blood has been drawn," said Jason as the jungle cat grabbed the wound with his right paw after transferring his scimitar to his left.

Sarah reversed the knife she had in her right paw and swung at Krew.

"_She went for me,_" thought the lupine as he dodged it. "_A smart choice. However, not good enough._" He used the speed booster technique and got behind the vixen. He got her with a kick that sent Sarah to her knees.

"Something like that isn't going to work on me," he said.

Samantha had quickly made it to Sqeak and swung her weapon at him. The snow leopard was at her prime strength and speed before she got pregnant with the twins. After they had been born, she had made it her duty to get back in shape. Her opponent used the chain of his weapon to block the attack.

The snow leopard was totally caught off guard as the rat went down and lashed out with his left leg. Samantha was able to block it by crossing her arms, but the force of the attack was so strong, it sent her into the water way. The liquid was only a couple of inches deep, so she wasn't going to drown. Tiger looked and saw the two fall.

"Samantha! Sarah!" shouted the jungle cat.

"I wouldn't be looking away if I were you!" Jason exclaimed. The jaguar did a series of attacks with his weapon which Tiger just dodged. He then swung his weapon which seemed to miss his opponent, only going by his right cheek. Suddenly a tiny line appeared on the area which began to bleed.

The jungle cat smirked as his weapon had managed to pay back Jason for wounding him. The jaguar spun his weapon around in a circle in front of his body then pointed it at his opponent.

"Take this," he said. "Fire energy beam!" Another voice sounded off as well as a trail of fire from the knife was stopped by another one that came from a familiar avian who had suddenly appeared.

"_He used the same attack as I did!_" thought Jason as he saw who it was.

"Not that I'm unhappy to see you, but what are you doing here Pecker?" asked Tiger.

"Well you know," began the avian who stood by the jungle cat's side, his Cerinian weapon already out. "I asked you to take care of those three earlier. But I guess I got a little worried." Meanwhile, Samantha had managed to get out of the water way, and Sarah was back on her feet.

"Okay; talk," said Pecker. "What are three criminals like you doing on this planet?"

Krew looked at him and knew who he was. "Pecker Davidson," said the lupine.

"Well what a surprise," said Sqeak. "I didn't think we'd fight against you, the son of the current wind king and queen Equila and Nova."

"You can imagine my surprise," said the avian. "I got to check out three shady looking people in a dumpling shop. And I find none other than Jason Myers, Sqeak Fola, and Krew Scout."

"How about that," said the rat. "You know my name. I'm honored. I'd love to crush you to bits."

"Sqeak, stop it," said Krew. The said guy looked at the lupine as if he was crazy. "If we continue against all four of them, it won't be without costs," the lupine continued. "It will take time, and the commotion will bring others. Don't lose sight of our goal."

"Let's hear it," said Pecker. "What is your goal exactly?"

"We're looking for something and we know it's here on Eladard and in this city."

"And what would that be?" asked the avian. "What is this thing you're looking for?"

"My way is more… efficient than Jason's or Sqeak's," said the lupine. This got everyone's attention.

"Tell us… is it Nicholas?" asked Pecker.

"No," said Krew. "The vixen who's carrying an object that was mentioned by Nicholas and you guys. I believe her name is Fara." Everyone felt the shock come on their faces.

"What's he talking about?" asked Samantha. "How does he know Fara Phoenix?"

"So that is her name," said the lupine. "You should've kept you mouth shut. Sqeak, knock them out so they can be questioned about her."

The rat put on a tremendous burst of speed and swung his weapon. All of a sudden, he was kicked by a familiar vulpine who had his Cerinian weapon out. Sqeak went flying back before flipping onto his feet.

Pecker and the others look and saw that Lucas had arrived and had his Cerinian Boots out. "Hope I'm not late," he said.

"I was wondering when you'd show up Lucas McCoy," said Sqeak. His right eye bore hatred at the fox. "I've been waiting a long time for this since our last battle."

"No Speak," said Krew. "We're pulling out. We're not here to fight a full scale battle yet. Tempting as it may be, we only came here to test the defenses of Eladard. And any rate we know her name."

"That's too bad," said Jason. "It was just getting fun. They don't know how lucky they are. But we'll meet again."

From Sqeak's left claw, came a shot of gas that quickly dispersed, so Lucas and the others had to cover their eyes. When they looked, the rat, Jason, and Krew were gone.

"Fuck, they got away," said the vulpine. "I thought we had them."

"This isn't good," said Tiger. "We need to let others know about this. But we need a place to think first."

"My parent's house is the closest," said Sarah. "Let's go."

Meanwhile Jason, Krew, and Sqeak were quickly heading back to their ships outside of Teirm. The lupine was talking into a communicator.

"We've found out what her name is; it's Fara Phoenix. We then had to retreat."

"No helping it," said a voice from the other end. It was the one that belonged to the black cloaked male. "But you three have done well to get that information. We'll take it from here."

X

Elsewhere, Miyu was heading back to the mother ship of Star Flight with some cookies for the team. The lynx knew they would love them. She then spotted Luna coming down in the opposite direction. The two stopped to talk a bit, and then made their way to their mother ship, figuring that the others would eventually meet them there.

Meanwhile, Nicholas had just finished visiting the special school that he had gone to since he had reached the specific age. The vulpine had spent a bit of time visiting the teachers and showing off to the students there. Now he was on his way to his parents' house to see how they were doing. But to his surprise, they weren't home when he got there. So the fox made his way to the house were Sarah's parents lived.

The remaining three cloaked figures on the other hand were standing on a ledge in Teirm. The one wearing blue had managed to learn where Fara was at. "She's at the Domino Hotel," she said. "Apparently she's meeting friends there."

"It shouldn't be too hard to get them out of the way," said the female in the purple cloak.

"Let's go," said the male in the black cloak.

Nicholas meanwhile had made it to the house he'd been going to. Little did he know that a meeting was going on inside in the living room between those who had fought Jason, Krew, and Sqeak, and Sarah's parents.

"They're trouble," said Lucas. "But from what they said, it seems they haven't found Fara yet."

"That's what crazy," said Tiger. "It doesn't add up. She's only been given Cerinian jewelry by Nicholas. What's so special about it?" A knock was suddenly heard from the front door.

"Shh," said Samantha. "Someone's here." Lucas went to get it and saw his brother there. The younger sibling decided to let the older vulpine in.

"Say have you guys-" began Nicholas, but then stopped. He saw how serious everyone was. "Why are so many of you here? What's going on here?"

"Er… nothing much," said Sarah. Suddenly Vincent and Linden came running in. They had been alerted to what had happened.

"Hey, is it true that Jason, Krew, and Sqeak have returned and that Shade and Sakura might be with them?" asked Vincent. Everyone gave a small groan since Nicholas was in the room. This was a bad time.

"And is it true that they've come to get Fara?" asked Linden. Only then did the two parents realize that their eldest son was in the room.

"Idiots," said Samantha.

Nicholas's eyes went wide with shock for just a second before they turned to a look of anger, hate, and fear. The vulpine ran out of the house before anyone could stop him.

"Why does this always have to happen?" asked Pecker.

Nicholas was running as fast as he could; more than he had before. He wasn't even using the power of his release.

"_So they're back huh?_" thought the fox. "_And those two might be with them? And they're after Fara? What does this mean?_"

Nicholas made it to the mother ship and saw that Miyu and Luna were about to enter. The two females heard him approach and turned their head to him.

"Hey Ni-" began the she wolf, but the vulpine interrupted her.

"Luna, Miyu; where is Fara?" They were surprised by the tone of his voice which sounded urgent.

"Well… we don't know," said the lynx.

"Contact the others; ask them where she is," said Nicholas. "Let me know what you find." He then took off.

"What was that about?" asked Luna. "I guess we should do what he asked."

Her leader was running for it. "_If Fara gets caught by those two, she's dead!"_ thought Nicholas. "_I won't let that happen! I won't lose the girl I love!_" He then felt the phone he had in his pants pocket go off. The vulpine quickly answered.

"Fara's supposed to meet Amanda at the Domino Hotel," the fox heard Miyu's voice from the other end.

"Tell the others to make their way there as quickly as possible!" The fox hung up. "_That place isn't too far from where I'm at!_"

Meanwhile Fara was waiting at the same hotel for the said frog. But Amanda hadn't shown up yet. The vixen was now looking around the first floor which had shops. Little did she know that the three cloaked figures were also inside and had removed those articles of clothing.

Nicholas quickly found the hotel, and ran to the front desk. "Did you see a vixen with green eyes, and light brown fur come in here?" he quickly asked the female rabbit upfront. "She's wearing a necklace that has a golden heart on it with an emerald inside a case!"

"Oh yeah, I do remember," said the rabbit. "She told me that she came in here to wait for someone named Amanda. She then went about the first floor to look at the shops."

Nicholas quickly took off. Meanwhile Fara had rounded a corner on the same floor only to come faced to faced with the same figures who had been cloaked. The vixen stopped as she took a look at them.

The first was a female chameleon who had been wearing the blue colored cloak. On top of her head was a black head band that had an orange colored gem in the shape of a triangle. She wore a grey shirt that almost exposed the arms so that her line tattoos could be seen. Her hands which had three fingers had white gloves on them. Below the shirt was a golden colored belt that had lines on it and a green gem. Next were gray colored pants that had holes right at the upper legs so that the spiral tattoos could be seen. Black boots covered the feet. Finally her tail had a golden color band on it that had a green gem along with the same symbol that Jason had under his ear. But the most interesting features was that the scales were pure white and the eye color was red. Fara knew that it wasn't Hiita's Rage eyes since this specie couldn't get it.

The one who had been wearing the purple cloak was another vixen who also had light brown fur like Fara. On her right ear was an earring that was silver in color and had lines on it. The other one was white and had four red gems on it. Her hair was short, almost reaching the shoulders, and was black with purple highlights in it. The eye color was a light blue and below her right eye was the triangle mark that the chameleon had. On her neck was a black band that had a red gem on it. Her shirt was a sleeveless black tank top that left the stomach exposed that had light brown fur on the sides and a tan color in the middle. The line tattoos on the arm could be seen. She wore black pants with holes to show the spiral tattoos on the legs and black boots.

Finally the male who had been wearing the black cloak was a coyote with purple fur. His right ear had two small golden color earrings on it. Between his ears was a strange piece of jewelry that had a red gem on it. He had no eyebrows and his eyes could be seen. The whites were black, and the eyes were red; like Nicholas had when the vulpine did Hiita's rage. On his neck was a clasp that had a red gem on it. He wore golden armor that had strange designs on the shoulder, but had the lines on the chest area. It was sleeveless to show off his muscled arms that had the spiral tattoos on them. Attached to it at the top was a square like object with lines on it that was the same as Fara's. He wore black pants and black boots. Finally, he had long, purple hair that went to his upper back.

"_Who are these guys?_" wondered Fara. "_And what's with the coyote's eyes? They look exactly the same as Nicholas's when he does Hiita's Rage._"

"Hard to believe this girl carries with her the other half of Garjzla," said the chameleon. Fara's eyes widened with shock.

"_How do they know about that?!_" she wondered.

"Fara, you're coming with us," said the coyote. She didn't respond. "Why don't we talk a walk."

"_These guys look like the real deal,_" thought the vixen. "_If I resist, they could easily kill me._"

"Hey what a minute," said the chameleon. "It will be a real pain in the ass if this vixen makes a run for it. Maybe I outta… chop of a leg just in case."

Fara let out a silent gasp as the white female flicked the fingers on her right hand. From her head band a strange dagger like weapon came out. It had a white bottom with lines on it and two green gems. The handle was grey in color while another part jutted out from the white end in a curve that was also grey and had four spikes on it. The blade was curved and grey in color.

Before the chameleon could strike, the other vixen suddenly spoke up. "It's been a long time…Nicholas McCoy." Everyone except for her turned the heads to see the said vulpine standing behind them.

"Sakura Hinta and Shade Greyback," he growled.

"Wait… you know these guys?' asked Fara.

The chameleon noticed Nicholas's eyes. They were in the first state of Hiita's Rage and showing pure hate and rage.

"Well… the eyes of Hiita's Rage," she said, lowering her arm that had her Cerinian weapon. "So he has it like you. Shade, Sakura, who is this kid?"

"He's my ex-boyfriend Netami," said Sakura. Fara felt shock going through her body.

"So this is the one?" asked Netami. "The guy you betrayed by joining up with Shade."

"Sakura and Shade," said Nicholas through clenched teeth. "I hope you two are ready to die for ruining my life."

Those words made Fara remember what he had said during the tournament. "_So these two were the ones he was talking about,_" she thought. "_The ones he wanted to kill._"

Shade and Sakura turned to face the vulpine. "It's just like you two said on that day before I was knocked out," said Nicholas. "I've fostered my hatred for you two all this time." He brought out his Cerinian weapons from his necklace without calling its name, with the claw parts out. His right paw began to glow as he prepared to use his special energy beam technique. "Since that day I've lived my life for one single purpose. To see both of you die!" The Spiraling Energy Ball came out at full power. "It ends here!"

"Nicholas…" said Fara.

"_His special energy beam technique is out,_" thought Shade. "_And he's mastered Hiita's Rage._"

"Enough!" shouted the vulpine. "You two are dead!" He place his right arm on the wall and ran forward with the technique tearing that part up with a yell. He got close. "DIE!" The coyote moved his right arm.

A part of the area blew up, creating a hole through the building. Everyone else who had been there before screamed and ran for it. The dust cleared to reveal that Shade had stopped Nicholas by catching the fox's wrist. The technique faded into nothing.

"_I… I don't believe it,_" thought Fara with shock on her face. "_He brushed off Nicholas's attack like it was nothing._"

The coyote tightened his grip which caused the vulpine to gasp in pain. "I don't think so," said Fara. "Come out, Arya!" From her necklace her Cerinian weapon came out. Everyone turned their gaze to her.

"Oh?" asked Netami. "So this must be it. The other half of your weapon Shade that you're trying to complete." Nicholas tried to break free, but the coyote pushed down on his wrist. With an audible crake, it broke. The vulpine yelled out in pain. Shade let go of him as the fox went to the ground, clutching his right wrist.

"Nicholas!" said Fara. "Alright, that's it-"

"Oh no you don't!" Netami exclaimed and swung her weapon at the vixen so that she had to dodge. "We don't need this girl to be whipping out attacks. Forget the legs. Maybe I should start on those arms of hers."

Suddenly some laser shots were sent at the enemy. The chameleon deflected them with her blade. "What the hell is this?" she asked.

"You honestly think Fara would be only with Nicholas didn't you?" asked a familiar voice. The vixen turned her head to see the rest of the Star Flight team standing behind her to see it was Cody who had spoken.

"I must say you've changed quite a bit Sakura," said Ben. "Never thought you'd come back here."

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Fara.

"We got the call from Miyu and Luna," said Lucy. "They said that Nicholas wanted all of us to find you. Seems you're having trouble."

"And that's not all who's with these guys," said Pecker as he stepped out from behind the group. The ones who had fought Jason, Sqeak, and Krew were also there. "We know Fara's the one you're really after." The vixen's eyes widened in shock.

"It would appear that someone must have let it slip," said Shade. "But you're right. Fara is one of the prizes that we're after. And we will have her."

"But why?" asked the vixen. "What's going on?"

"No way you're getting your paws on Fara," said Luna.

"We'll see about that," said the coyote. "Seeing how I can sense the other half of the weapon she's carrying. The one I need to complete mine."

Everyone else felt shock going through their bodies except those who were with Shade. They're eyes glanced to the sword that the vixen had. They only now just notice it and saw that it was a Cerinian weapon. They knew that Nicholas would have to be asked about it. But now was not the time.

"Is that so? Actually this is perfect," said Lucas after a bit. "We can eliminate you three at the same time."

"Stay out of this," said his brother with a groan. Everyone looked to the vulpine who had gotten up. "The only one… who's going to eliminate them… is me!"

"Go away," said Shade. "You don't interest me in the moment."

"Well get interested!" shouted Nicholas and charged. The coyote launched at him with a kick to the stomach that sent the fox flying back. The vulpine hit the wall at the end of the hall with a thud.

"Nicholas! No!" Fara exclaimed. "Why you-" She began to charge.

"No Fara!" shouted her leader. "Don't but in; mind your own business!" The vixen stopped. "I said it before," said the vulpine as he slowly got up. "I've lived my whole life for this moment. This fight is mine! Hiita's Rage; second state!" The lines came out and his right wrist straightened out, showing that it was healed.

With a yell, the fox used the speed booster technique to get right at Shade. He launched a punch which got blocked before getting socked in the face by the coyote. Nicholas went spinning back and hit the same wall again with a grunt.

"Nicholas…" whispered Fara.

He slowly began to move. "Not finished…" said the vulpine. "This fight… is mine…"

"So be it," said Shade.

The group behind Fara began to move, but Netami flashed her weapon at them. "You heard him," said the chameleon. "This fight is none of our business. Let's let the two of them sort it out."

The coyote approached Nicholas and stopped. The vulpine looked up; he had blood coming out of the corners of his mouth.

"Now finally!" shouted the fox and quickly rose up. But Shade got him with his left knee. He then began a ruthless assault.

"_How?_" wondered Nicholas. "_All this time, and nothing has changed. How can this be?_"

The others watched in silent anger. "You show him no mercy," said Sakura with an evil smile.

The vulpine landed on the floor. "_What have I been doing all this time?_ he wondered. "_Was it all for this?_" Shade then grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall.

"You're still too weak," he said. "You don't have enough hate. And you know something?" The coyote leaned in to whispered into the fox's ear. "You never will." He then let go and Nicholas slumped to the floor. "You can never beat me even though you have Hiita's Rage like I do."

Again everyone who wasn't with him felt shock again. Then never suspected that another besides Nicholas would have that ability since it was rare. Shade then turned to Sakura and Netami. "Now then; it's time to go." He gave the two females a look to not question him. The three immediately used the speed booster technique to run for it. Before anyone could react, they got away.

Shade, Sakura, and Netami were racing through the city to meet up with the others. "So we just run away?" asked the chameleon. "It will make us look bad."

"There's no rush for now, we'll get Fara when the time is right," said the coyote. "Besides, we now know that we can begin with our operation of taking over this system. And we know who she's with." They soon met up with Jason, Krew, and Sqeak and the six were off the planet and back on their mother ship.

Meanwhile Fara closed her eyes and her Cerinian weapon went back into its sealed form. The vixen then ran over to Nicholas. He opened his eyes. Fara wrapped her arms around him in relief.

"You're okay," she whispered.

"I'm fine," said the vulpine. The others were looking at him in an odd way. Nicholas looked up at them.

"I know you have questions, but that will have to wait," he said. "Tell the High King and Queen about this. I need to talk to them. In fact, spread the word out to the Council of 13, all of the other rulers, family, and friends. They'll want to hear this.

X

Two days later found everyone that Star Flight knew including the Council of 13 at the castle where Kareem and Arielle ruled in a huge meeting room. Nicholas was fully healed, and nobody else had gotten hurt in the confrontation.

"So then, what have you called us all for?" asked Kareem.

"Simple," said Pecker. "Shade and some of his goons came to Teirm." Those who didn't know about that began to talk at once.

"Everyone! Please!" said Arielle, her voice ringing out. It got the room quite. "We can't discuss this unless we're calm. Now can you tell us what happened?"

Pecker, and those who fought against Jason, Sqeak, and Krew went first. Then those who encountered Shade, Sakura, and Netami spoke up next. They told the reasons why the six had come.

Nobody spoke when the explanations were finished. Lanal then spoke up. "This Netami is definitely somebody new since she wasn't with Shade when he first attacked Eladard. I think we can figure out why they would test the defenses of Eladard."

"Yeah, for war," said Worriz.

"But why would they go after Fara?" asked Liuwa. Nicholas turned his head to the vixen.

"Show them," he said. She nodded.

"Arya," said Fara simply and the weapon came out. Everyone let out gasps of shock and then began to mummer. The vixen didn't like the looks of this and shrank back in nervousness. The vulpine she loved moved closer to her.

"Nicholas…" said Kareem, which silenced the room.

"Your highness, you know the laws," said the fox. "This weapon has accepted Fara and it must be accepted even though she's a non Cerinian."

"That's not the point," said the wolf. "I gave you that half to keep safe; not to give it to someone." The team mates except for Cody and Ben looked at their leader in shock.

"I know that," said the vulpine. "But… Fara's the best shot we've had. She is no ordinary vixen and is much stronger than you know. I've taught her everything including on how to wield that weapon. And if that's not enough… me and my team will protect her at the cost of our lives!" Silence followed his speech. Fara then spoke up.

"I know that you think I shouldn't wield this. But I knew that this weapon is meant to be with me after realizing what happened. I won't turn it down. With this I can protect the ones I care about. And I accept all the risks that go with it!

Nobody spoke for a minute. Kareem then smiled before speaking. "Fara Phoenix… you may not be a pure blooded Cerinian or a part one. But you definitely have the strength and spirit of one of us. And Nicholas is right. That weapon has accepted you. I can't say no to that. Therefore, as the High King of Eladard, I grant you permission to use it."

"And so do I," said Arielle. One by one, the rest of the rulers and the Council of 13 agreed. Linden and Vincent were just looking on to the vixen with a look of pride on their faces. This girl was now closer to their son. If the two got married, they'd be perfect.

"But when were you going to say something?" asked Luna.

"I was going to tell all of you after Fara completed her special energy beam technique. She's almost finished with it," said Nicholas. The she wolf said nothing, but felt even more jealous of her friend. Now she was more close to the vulpine she loved.

"Now that we've got that out of the way, we still need to discuss on what to do with Shade," said the vulpine. "He and the others are still out there. And who knows how many more. They'll be back."

"I agree," said Rizzo. "We must take action immediately to prepare against him. Even if it means going to war."

"Yes," said one of the members on the council, an elderly skunk. "It's been a long time since our planet has done this. Everyone must be prepared. Shade isn't one to be dealt lightly with."

"And the other planets need to be notified," said Arielle. "We'll need their help. And yours as well Star Flight. We'll need you to help fight against Shade."

"I was already thinking about doing that," said Nicholas. "Consider our full support given." The rest of his team agreed to help as well.

"But how did he know about Nicholas?" asked Amanda. "That's one thing I can't figure out. None of you have explained that."

Fara thought back to what Nicholas had done against the coyote. "Yes, what the hell?" she asked, her paws clenched into fists and trembling. "What the hell did Nicholas ever do to deserve that?" Nobody else spoke.

"Okay then," said the vixen. "If Eladard is going to war, then I'll give it to them. I'll admit that I was afraid of those guys at first. But not anymore. After all, they want my weapon, right? Then I'll just have to beat them."

"Nice speech," said Nicholas. "But I'm afraid you wouldn't stand a chance against them. You're not in the same league. Even I got my ass kicked, and I'm stronger than you. What would've happened even if so many of our friends hadn't shown up, huh? It's only because of Shade saying it was time to go that we didn't get killed."

"Is that right?" asked Fara. "So what are you suggesting?! That we just do nothing against him except attack the common foot troops he may have?! While we wait for that coyote to hit us again; what kind of fucking strategy is that?!"

"JUST SHUT UP!" the vulpine roared at her. It startled her and made her look away. "You haven't earned the right. You don't know what they can do. But… If you want to help me stop him, and the ones under him that are in charge, then you are going to have to get a lot stronger than you already are. Strong enough to even take me on at my full power while using the final state of Hiita's Rage."

"Could you tell us what you know about them?" asked Kareem. Nicholas sighed.

"I can," he said. "However, I think it would best to tell you about Jason Myers first. After all, he's part of Shade's group. And who better then that than Tiger and Samantha. They're a couple of people who know him better than you do."

"He's right," said the jungle cat. "Before Nicholas talks about what he has to say, me and Samantha should start. Can you do that, honey?" His snow leopard wife nodded. The two began a summarized version of their past. But everything that happened was beginning to flow through their minds.


	39. Chapter 39

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 39: Remembering the Past; Part One

Author's notes: Originally when Rina was introduced, I didn't say whether or not she was a part Cerinian. I finally decided to make her a part Cerinian.

X

For Tiger and Samantha, even though their life began when they were born, their true story began in the second grade of elementary school. That's where everything would change. It would be the time where they would meet each other and Jason.

It was before the first day for second grade. Tiger and his parents were at the school since it was an open house. This was so that way the children and the parents could meet the teacher who would take care of their kid or kids during the day.

The three walked into the class room. Already there were other parents and kids that were all kinds of species either playing, talking, or looking around. Tiger just looked. Being only seven at this point in time, he had a natural curiosity. Also his hair at the time was short, only a buzz cut.

He held onto his mother's paw as the family made their way over to the teacher who had become available to talk. She looked up and began to have a small conversation with the two parents who also introduced their son. He responded to the teacher before resuming his looking around. This classroom was much different from the last one.

His gaze then went to the center of the room. There were six people there. Four of which were parents. Two were snow leopards, the others were jaguars. Tiger only glanced over these adults quickly as his attention was drawn to the two children who were playing with each other. One of them was a jaguar who had golden fur color and purple eyes.

The young jungle cat's attention then went to the other child. His eyes widen in shock. It was a female snow leopard who had blue eyes, grey fur, and grey hair that was just long enough to be in a small pony tail. Tiger just ended up staring at her without the young girl knowing. The light of the room seemed to engulf her, making everything else disappear around her. This girl looked… like so much more.

Tiger tugged on his mother's paw to get her attention. His parents had just finished talking to the teacher so it wasn't a problem. "Mommy," he asked. "Is that an angel?"

"Who is dear?" asked his mother. His dad was also listening to his son.

The young jungle cat pointed at the young snow leopard. His parent's eyes saw her, and the other five. They suddenly got grins on their faces. They knew who these people were. The family of three walked over.

"Author, Tammy, James, and Tera," said Tiger's father. "How's it going?"

The four adults turned their attention to them, and they got smiles on their faces. Author and Tammy were Samantha's parents, and the other two were Jason's.

"John and Mallory," said Author. "It's been a while." The adults gave each one a quick hug. The fathers had known each other since their school days. Their wives had been found during the college days. "You guys look well," said the male snow leopard.

"So do you," said Mallory. She then looked down to the two children who made eye contact. Immediately they got up and went to their own mother.

"Don't be shy," said Tammy to Samantha. "These are friends of mine. They've known about you since you were a kit even if you don't remember it."

"That's right," said Author. "Samantha, I want you to meet Author Bie and Mallory Bie." He then noticed the young jungle cat with them. "This is their son Tiger. He's about the same age as you."

The young snow leopard looked at him and noticed that his fur color and eyes were different than his parents who had the regular fur color and different eye color. She didn't know what to think. Tiger's father must have seen this because he bent down to talk to her.

"It's alright with Tiger. He was just born special, that's all." Samantha was too young to know the reason behind it. The snow leopard then looked at the young jungle cat. Now he seemed to look like another boy.

"Samantha really has grown since the last time I saw her," said Mallory. "So has Jason. I wish the three could have been introduced to each other sooner."

"It's alright," said Tera. "Better now than never. Jason's already met Samantha since he got here. And it looks like he's already seen Tiger."

The young jaguar was regarding the said person and gave him a small smile. This jungle cat looked interesting. Tiger gave it back. He then looked at Samantha and gave her a smile. The children could sense and tell that the other two had special powers just like them self. They didn't know yet that the correct way to say it was that they were part Cerinians; just like their parents.

"Why don't you three play with each other?" asked Samantha's father. The children did so. They began to also talk a bit as they got to know the other. The parents just smiled at the sight. The boys did most of the talking, but Samantha looked from one to the other. She thought both of them were cute. But as to who was cuter, the snow leopard couldn't decide.

"I see the three of them are happy," said Mallory. "I'm sure they'll be good friends in the future." She had no idea how right she would be. But then it would all come apart. All too soon, the time came to go. But Tiger, Jason, and Samantha knew they would see each other again. The three promised before leaving to stay as friends. Their parents thought it was great that the three had the same class together.

X

Tiger, Jason, and Samantha quickly grew close. Sure they made other friends, but the three had a special bond that nobody else had. The jungle cat was glad that he had the jaguar for a friend. And Tiger was happy that Samantha was also a friend of his. Even though he was just a kid, he adored her. The snow leopard, although she liked him, didn't have quite the same feelings for Tiger. But then again, they were only kids. Then during the fifth grade, another person was added. It was Rina, the same one who would become Samantha's best friend. The hyena was also a part Cerinian and instantly the four hit it off. So she became a part of the group.

The bond they had continued past 5th grade and into the days they started to go to one of the special schools for part Cerinians at the age of 12 like it said in the laws and rules of Eladard. It was during this time that Tiger realized that the adoration he had for Samantha were actually romantic feelings for her. But the jungle cat also noticed that there were a lot of other cute girls. He figured that if he wanted to make the snow leopard his, then it might be best if he practiced on other people. Jason had also developed feelings for Samantha, but also thought on the same lines like his friend. The snow leopard on the other hand had feelings for both of them. But the level of them was the same. Samantha knew that she couldn't date both. So she decided to wait and whoever asked her out first would be the one she would choose. In the meantime, it would be best if she got some practice in with other boys.

This practicing with other people continued until the beginning of sophomore year at their special school. Jason finally found the courage to ask Samantha out. The snow leopard accepted to his joy and the two quickly made it official. Tiger at first didn't like this because he wanted to go out with her. But very quickly when he saw how happy Samantha was, the jungle cat accepted it. He then went after another part Cerinian female who came in second to people he liked after Samantha; a leopard named Amy. She was so happy when the jungle cat asked her out since she had a major crush on him since the 8th grade. The two also made it official very quickly. Some of the best moments for both Tiger and Samantha happened during this time period.

X

The alarm in Tiger's room went off that morning waking up the jungle cat. He opened his eyes with a groan and with a finger shut off the device. He stretched a bit with a tired yawn and managed to get out of the bed. Last year he hated to get up early in the morning. But now he had a wonderful reason to do so. And that was to pick up Amy at her house and get them to school. He was so far the only one out of his friends to already have a driver's license at the age of 16. Jason almost had his; the jaguar just needed to pass the driver's test. He would have it by the time October was over. Then he would be picking up Samantha at her house.

Tiger smiled at the thought. There was no denying that the snow leopard was happy with Jason. And the jungle cat wasn't going to get in the way of that. Plus it wasn't like he was complaining or anything. Samantha would always have a special spot in his heart since he had feelings for her since they were kits. But he was also happy to be with Amy. She was one of the things that made up his world.

After getting ready, the jungle cat put on his Cerinian jewelry and weapon in its sealed form. Both jewelry pieces were rings, with one going on one of his index fingers. The one on the right was grey in color and had four orange colored gems on it. The other one on the left index finger was also grey, but only had three orange colored gems on it. Both rings had the lines on them.

Tiger made his way down to the dining room where his parents, John and Mallory were already eating breakfast. The three made small talk as they ate. The older jungle cats were proud of their son who not only was one of the brightest in his class, but also had that special someone. They had met Amy before the leopard started to go out with their son and liked her.

Tiger then looked up at the clock after a bit and saw that it read 7:45. School started at 8:15, and he had to get moving in order to get his leopard girlfriend and have them both make it to school on time. He grabbed his empty plate, put in the sink, and headed for the door where his backpack and car keys were already there.

"I gotta get Amy. See you later," he said as the jungle cat bolted out of the door with these things.

"Have a good day!" his mother yelled out to him as he left the house and got into his car. The older female jungle cat then gave off a sad smile.

"What's wrong?" asked her husband who noticed this.

"Nothing… It's just that… Maybe things could be different."

"What do you mean?"

"I just think it's a shame that Tiger and Samantha aren't dating. Not that I don't mind Amy. I think her and Tiger together are perfect. It's just that I know our son has loved that snow leopard even when they were kids. I figured that he would ask her out before Jason."

"Well it just goes to show you don't know what's going to happen," said John. "Maybe those two will get together in the future. After all, almost all relationships in high school end sooner or later."

Meanwhile Tiger had just reached Amy's house in his car. He had barely pulled up when the leopard came running out of the door with her backpack on. She had short, blond hair that went to shoulders. The muzzle and the middle of her neck were white. Her fur color and tail color was a pale orange and the eyes were a pale green. Amy was wearing a pink tank top and shorts since the weather was still nice. The leopard wanted to make the most of it before it became cold. Tiger could see the line tattoos she had on her arms and that the top part of the upper part of her body where the middle of the neck was and that part was also white. The jungle cat thought that she looked so beautiful right now.

Amy practically flung the passenger door open and jumped in. The two shared a nice kiss for a few seconds before coming apart. "Morning babe," said Tiger with a smile as his leopard girlfriend closed the door.

"Same to you hon," she said in a sweet tone while putting on her seat belt. "I'm so happy we decided to do this since I get to see you first thing in the morning."

"I feel the same way to," said the jungle cat as he began to drive to the school. They made it and Tiger parked in his assigned spot. The two got out and took each other's paws as they walked to the entrance. They got nice stares and comments from the other students. They all knew Tiger since he was not only a good student, but also one of the best athletes, and one of the most handsome. Only Jason could be considered to be the jungle cat's equal in those areas. The two guys were able to stand out in the crowd. And since Amy was Tiger's girl, everyone knew her well. At first, most of the girls had given her a hard time when they found out she was going out with Tiger. The same thing had happened for Samantha when they found out she was going out with Jason. But both males and their friends had defended the two females. Quickly, the other girls learned to accept this.

They found Jason and Samantha waiting for them; the two also holding paws. Rina was with them, but didn't have a boyfriend with her. At least not yet. Jason had his Cerinian stuff on, and so did the snow leopard. Samantha was wearing her Cerinian weapon in its sealed form along with two earrings that looked like crescent moons, one on each ear. They both had lines on them, four pink colored gems, and were colored white.

"Morning," said Jason as he and Tiger gave each other a fist bump with their free paws. The friends then began to talk as they walked to their lockers. The homecoming dance was coming up in a few days and they were excited for it. The jaguar and the jungle cat had already asked their girls to it, and the females had accepted. This would be the first time that Tiger and Jason would attend this dance with an actual date. Last year they had gone with a group of friends.

When the dance did finally come, it found the jungle cat driving up to Amy's house in a brand new suit. His hair, which had been short in his early days as a child was now longer, but not yet to the length it would eventually become, was groomed and neat. His parents had told him to have a good time before he left. Tiger arrived at his destination, and after grabbing the flowers, got out of the car. He made his way to the door and knocked on it. A moment later, Amy's parents answered. Although she had inherited her fur color from her father, the leopard got her hair and eye color, plus her beauty from her mother.

"Good evening Tiger," said Amy's father. "You look nice tonight." He was actually pleased that his daughter was dating Tiger. The jungle cat had proven to be an excellent guy for Amy.

"Thank you sir," said Tiger respectively. He was lead into the living room.

"I think Amy's almost ready," said her mother. "I'll go check on her."

"There's no need," said a voice from the hall. "I'm here." The three turned to find the said girl who came out into the living room. She was wearing a green dress to bring out the color of her eyes and earrings that had small orange gems on them. The leopard had a happy smile as she saw Tiger, and thought he couldn't look any more handsome. His eyes widen in shock at her beauty.

The leopard made her way over to Tiger and took the flowers he had. After taking in their sweet scent, Amy gave him a nice kiss on the check. Her parents caught the moment with a photo. They knew that John and Mallory would want to have a copy. After a few more, the time came for the teens to go to the school for the dance.

In no time Tiger and Amy had made it and had gone in with Samantha and Jason. The snow leopard wore a blue dress to make the color of her eyes come out along with her Cerinian earrings. The jungle cat thought she looked beautiful as well. But not as much as his leopard girlfriend.

The friends quickly went onto the dance floor and joined the other students. Amy just had a smile on her face the whole time. She had been imagining doing this with Tiger since the 9th grade. Now it was actually happening. The jungle cat also had a smile on his face.

During one break the two sat at one of the benches in the area, with the leopard resting her body against the jungle cat. All of a sudden, a grinding song came on. Amy turned her head to Tiger and gave him an evil smile. He grinned because he knew what she wanted. He lead her out to the floor. Immediately she pressed her backside against the jungle cat's front, and placed his paws on her stomach with hers on top. Amy closed her eyes with a smile and pressed her body even more into his.

Tiger just kissed her on the back of the neck which made the female jaguar let out a sigh of pleasure. This was another thing she had wanted to do with him. It was the same situation with Jason and Samantha. The four teens were having the time of their lives at this dance.

Although none of them got to be the homecoming king or queen, the four had fun. When the event ended at midnight, they seemed to be emitting happiness from their bodies. The last part found Tiger taking Amy to her home. After walking her to the front door, he took her paws in his.

"Goodnight," whispered Tiger to Amy.

"Goodnight," she whispered back and then the next thing she knew, she was in the jungle cat's arms with his mouth against hers. She responded back with her tongue fighting against his. She made sounds of pleasure as this make out session went on for five minutes until they both had to break it off to get some air. The two still had their arms around each other.

"Holy… Shit…" gasped the jungle cat. "That… was amazing."

"So are… you," the jaguar gasped. Tiger pulled her in and kissed the top of her hair.

"I know I am," he whispered. "And same for you." Amy smiled and closed her eyes. How could this night get any better?

"I've liked you for a really long time," Tiger continued. "And now I've realized something."

"What is it?" the leopard whispered. She felt excitement and nervousness going through her body for some reason.

"I realize that it's deeper than that. I love you." Amy's heart went into hyper drive as she heard those three words. The leopard had been trying to figure out how to say that exact same thing to him. Now she had the perfect opportunity. She looked up at his face.

"Oh Tiger," said Amy. "I love you to." She then pressed her mouth against his. This kiss was sweeter and didn't last as long. The teens then pulled apart after a minute. "Thank you for saying that. You've just made my night officially perfect," said the leopard.

"Just doing my job," said Tiger. The two then figured it was time to really say goodnight. After a quick kiss, the leopard went into her house, and the jungle cat drove back to his. This night had been fun. It was also the same for Jason and Samantha who also told the other that they loved them.

X

The next day seemed to be normal except when Tiger and Amy saw each other again when they went out on a date. The leopard had her arms wrapped around the jungle cat's as they walked, with her head resting on the same body part. The two could feel the love they had for each other as they enjoyed the time spent together.

The school year seemed to go by at a quick rate. Sometimes Tiger and Amy were joined by Jason and Samantha as the four went out on double dates. The four had fun being with their special someone and their friends during these outings. Of course they took time to hang out with their other friends as well, mainly at sporting events held by the school. The other big highlight was the winter dance were Tiger and Jason got asked by their girls. The four had a fun time at that as well.

During the summer, the four actually entered in the tournament just for the heck of it. Tiger and Jason were the only ones out of the group to get to the finals. The two lost in the first round; but barely. They decided to try it again next year. More dates happened during this time period and then before anyone knew it, the vacation from school was over. Life seemed perfect as the four teens' summer ended and they started their junior year. Little did anyone know that things were about to be turned upside down.


	40. Chapter 40

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 40: Remembering the Past; Part Two

For Samantha, the summer months with Jason were some of the best of her young life. The two did many romantic things together; taking walks while holding paws, movies, and swimming, to name a few. The swimming part was the one where the snow leopard liked to show her jaguar boyfriend how her body looked in bikinis. Every time she chose a different one.

However, things weren't the same for him. The first time he saw her like that before the junior year, the jaguar got one of the strangest feelings he had ever felt. It was something that he had never felt before in his life. Afterwards, Jason was left to wonder about it. The feeling came back up every time he saw Samantha in a bikini. Then it hit the jaguar after a month of this. He realized it was lust. Jason wanted the snow leopard and to pleasure her. At first, he thought it might be a phase and that with time it would go away. But as the summer went on, he realized it wasn't going to.

With that thought in mind, Jason decided to act upon it sometime during the next school year. He was sure he could find a place. The problem was how Samantha would take it. Either one of two things would happen. One; she wouldn't mind and happily accept it. Or two; it would have to come to rape. Either way, the jaguar was going to have some tail with her. And if Samantha wanted it, then great. But if not, then Jason figured he would have to break up with her after the act was done. But that didn't matter. He would get what he wanted one way or another.

The junior year started before anyone knew it, and it found Jason and Samantha talking on their way to class.

"So how does this Saturday sound for a date; just the two of us?" asked Jason.

"Sounds lovely," said Samantha. The two didn't notice that Tiger was right behind them and able to hear every word.

"How about a movie and then a little 'fun'?" asked the jaguar. The word caught the jungle cat's attention. He didn't like the way Jason had said that. But Samantha didn't seem to hear the way Jason had said the word.

"Well that's nice, except there haven't been any good movies out lately."

"Oh that's right," said Jason. "Then I'll think of something and let you know babe."

"Okay then," said the snow leopard before giving him a kiss on the lips before heading to her class. Tiger stepped up behind the jaguar and spoke.

"What are you up to Jason? Why are you talking to Samantha like that when you used the word fun?"

"Jeez Tiger; jealous? I'm just having a simple chat with her. What's so bad with that?" He seemed offended as he turned to face his friend.

"Yeah right." The jungle cat still didn't think so. "Why should I believe you?"

"Why shouldn't you?" asked Jason. "First of all we've known each other since grade school. Second, I haven't done anything wrong."

"I doubt she feels the same way about it as you do." Tiger was surprised as all the jaguar gave in rebuttal was a gentle laugh.

"Oh you don't know her like I do."

"I don't, but I've known her for seventeen years Jason. It's the same as you."

"Hey," Jason tried to defend himself. "Even I know I get a little hot headed when it comes to my emotions sometimes. A lot of guys do at this age."

Tiger had to give him credit on that one, although he was sure that he could control himself better when it came to Amy.

"I can honestly tell you I love Samantha and I'm not going to hurt her."

"Fine, I'll play along in your game for now." Tiger began to walk away from the jaguar giving him nothing but a warning. "You better be telling me the truth then Jason; if you do anything to hurt Samantha I swear you won't regret it."

"Like I'm afraid of you."

"You will be if you hurt her." The two met at a cold stare, Tiger's serious but Jason's laid back and daring. The jungle cat didn't like that demented look in the jaguar's eyes. Tiger wasn't so easily fooled. Jason was surely up to something.

Tiger's worry only got worse as the day went on. He had seen fake guys and relationships with his other friends before, and Samantha never had to deal with something like that before. Though he felt a bit of guilt in the back of his mind. The snow leopard should be allowed to have happiness just like him.

"Jason had better be for real," the jungle cat whispered underneath his breath as he saw Samantha and the said guy talking again during the end of the school day. Just as he was about to step up to them, Jason had to suddenly leave as he ran the opposite way to his car. His girlfriend watched him go with a nice smile across her face.

"Oh hey Tiger," she said as the snow leopard noticed the jungle cat. "Jason just asked me out on a date this Saturday; just the two of us."

"Oh well that's cool." Samantha caught on that Tiger didn't seem so cheerful all of a sudden.

"Is something wrong?" The jungle cat merely shook his head as he let out his breath.

"No, just be careful please."

"Be careful?" Samantha finally caught on to what Tiger was hinting at. "Be careful of what? Jason? What is with you? Jason's one of the nicest guys I've ever dated." She defended the jaguar as defined by her slightly angered tone. But Tiger couldn't argue, not with nothing to prove what Jason's _real_ intentions were. He walked away from the snow leopard, turning toward her with real pain in his eyes. She could only help but wonder why.

"Just be careful, I couldn't bear to see you get hurt since we've known each other for so long." Tiger left her alone in a daze as she wondered why he would be saying that. In her mind Jason was one of the greatest guys she had ever dated. But Tiger knew; he had a nasty feeling that Jason was becoming one of those guys. They only wanted one thing, some tail, and would get it one way or another. And if it came to raping, then the jaguar would dump the snow leopard. But the jungle cat caught himself thinking strangely. If Jason was for real why should he try to break up what he and Samantha had going on? And if she said yes to actually doing it with him, then Tiger had no right to stop it. Hell, he'd imagine doing it with Amy, but knew it would be better to wait. If the jaguar wanted to do it earlier, that was his choice.

Tiger looked up to see Jason about to cross the street in his car. Just like on cue the jaguar turned his head toward the jungle cat. He merely gestured Tiger's goodbye in a daunting way, evil filled his eyes and his smirk was fueled by trickery. That look just made the jungle cat's blood boil as he grasped his backpack strap tight, baring his fangs at the jaguar. He merely turned his sly remark into a smile as he turned his head back before driving away.

Tiger didn't like it at all. He was only afraid that Samantha was going to end up getting hurt in the end. Jason had just given himself away. The jungle cat had always been somewhat good at reading people for who they _truly _were or becoming.

"Jason is up to something," he talked to nobody in particular. "I'm sure of it."

X

The jungle cat ended up talking to everyone that he knew until only Amy was left about this. Like him, they also thought that Jason was up to something and it would involve Samantha. Something that wasn't going to be good.

Tiger and Amy was at his house a couple of days later. It was the weekend and she had come over to help around the house. They talked about other things before the leopard brought up the date that Jason and Samantha would have latter that evening.

"I heard from her that he's taking her out to a very nice restaurant just to show her how much he loves her," said Amy.

"Is that so?" asked the jungle cat. "That's… good, I guess." He didn't seem to think so.

The two went silent for a moment until Amy spoke up. She noticed he had a change in mood. "What's wrong Tiger? You seem troubled."

"It's Samantha," he answered quietly. "Or rather it's both her and Jason. Has he seem a little bit… unusual in his behavior as of late?"

"Yes now that you mention it," said the leopard. "And not like that he's doing drugs or drinking. Why do you ask?"

"I think he might be trying to do it with Samantha, and your answer is no different than anyone else whose thinks he's changing. But Samantha doesn't seem to see past his lies."

"Oh dear," said Amy. "It sounds like an awful lot of bad stuff can happen."

"A lot can happen when you deal with a guy like Jason; I'm finding myself being not able to trust him. I don't see how Samantha can't see through it."

"Can you blame her?" That question made Tiger stop what he was doing and look at his leopard girlfriend, after a moment of thinking it through.

"No," he admitted quietly. "I can't blame her I suppose. I just feel bad for her, but this is only going to make it worse for her I guarantee it."

"It might it might not." Amy placed a paw on his shoulder. "We'll just have to wait and see. Who knows, maybe things will work out?"

"Maybe you're right."

X

Latter on Samantha was sitting on her porch in deep thought, thinking about many different subjects in mind. On the side note today seemed all but to nice; the sun was out, it was fairly cool outside, and a nice breeze came in to grace this Sunday. But on a much bigger note, the snow leopard was thinking about her date the previous night with Jason, and also noticed how ever since she started her junior year with the jaguar as her boyfriend, it was affecting everyone else around her. But she couldn't understand why. Did they think something different of him? To her he seemed like such a gentlemen; smooth and classy, perhaps a little troubled but a gentlemen all together. But of course only Samantha thought that way, only her.

Three sudden knocks to her side porch poles snapped her out of her deep, mental thoughts to see Rina leaning against one of the poles; arm crossed, smile there but faded.

"Hey Samantha, how's the weekend treating you?" She invited herself to join her best friend, so many memories right in this exact same spot as the two grew up and became close, though it seemed like those glory days were dead and gone, a long time ago.

"Fine I suppose," the snow leopard started slowly. "Hey…can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Is there a problem everyone else is feeling about Jason?" The hyena didn't speak for a moment before answering.

"Well to be honest we're all just a bit concerned, but that's it."

"Concerned?" Samantha didn't seem to understand.

"Sam, it's not really bad. But you know him; his character has become a little too…shady ever since he started as a junior. Everyone is just a little worried something isn't right, and…We're just worried something bad will happen."

"Oh I see…" Samantha looked out upon the open sky. Some things were just always taken for granted, never all that well thought out, and she felt as though this was one of those things. "What about Tiger? I know he's been a bit down lately, it's not like him…"

"Girl, that's a question that only you or Tiger could answer. But I will tell you that he of all people is the most concerned about you. You two are the ones who have known each other the longest besides Jason. I love you to death but they were here first…He just doesn't want to see you get hurt, no one does." She tried to smile as one formed on the snow leopard's face as well.

"I know, but haven't you ever just followed your heart?" Rina countered with a question of her own.

"You still really love Jason, don't you?"

"I do…" Samantha's answer made the hyena's heart sink. "Do you think that's why Tiger hasn't been himself lately? He's worried that I'll just forget about him and disappear into thin air?"

"Again Sam that's not a question I can answer. All I can say is why don't you go ask Tiger and hear his part of the story?"

"You know, maybe I should." The snow leopard picked herself off from the porch and stretched her arms. "I suppose it's an issue me and him will just have to work out. I'll talk to you later." Samantha waved goodbye as she intended to walk, to nice of a day to have to drive herself to Tiger's home. She had her license now along with all her friends. Rina just watched her go down the street. As soon as her image was out of sight her smile dropped into an emotionless face.

"Jason, you better be for real."

X

Tiger was on the same lines as Samantha as he was out walking. Today was nice and sunny outside and the breeze was fairly cool. He thought about dressing in maybe something not as revealing or more appropriate but decided not to, this planet would just have to deal with his tank top and grey sweats. He traveled around the block a few times as the jungle cat was lost in thought. Why did he care so much about this ideal? Life was just going to keep on flowing, so why was he letting this put a stopper on his day and his life? But perhaps the only one who could really keep Samantha from getting hurt was herself, and she could do that by staying away from Jason. Though he thought that however was unlikely.

"Tiger?" The familiar voice snapped the jungle out of his walking trance to see Samantha no more than five feet away from him. She could tell now he was really out of it, she had been coming up to him for multiple moments now and he didn't even notice her. The look on his face was troubled, she could see through the fake smile that wasn't very large.

"Hey Samantha, what brings you by here?"

"I wanted to talk a bit with you to be honest." The two walked side by side to Tiger's home. They both ended up sitting on the porch.

"So what's up?" The jungle cat tried to be cheerful but she could see through it so easily.

"Tiger, you were never good at lying, especially to me. I of all people should know that." That feeling was a bit distasteful in his mind as his smile dropped on the spot. Samantha knew this was coming. "I need some answers Tiger; honest, truthful, answers."

"_Oh crap,_" the jungle cat thought to himself. Maybe Jason had spilled the beans on their little talk not too long ago. He tried to cover it up. "About what?"

"Tiger, we've known each other for a long time."

"I'd say our whole lives is quite the while." The small joke made her smile.

"Right, so you can be honest with me." The two met contact again as her expression lightened. "Are you worried for me? Worried that Jason is going to do something that's going to hurt me in a way? Are you jealous of him in some way?" Tiger didn't give her an answer right away; he first breathed strongly through his nose and closed his eyes. Only after did he feel as though he could give her a sufficient answer.

"I'm deeply concerned for your well being Samantha. Please don't be angered by what I say but in my mind Jason just doesn't seem like one of those people you can trust easily since he became a junior. Perhaps I'm wrong and I'm just seeing the worst in him, or maybe it is out of jealousy. Maybe it's a phase that will pass with time. But whether it's through jealousy or instinct, I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"Thank you Tiger, that's exactly what I wanted to hear. Thank you for telling me." The two shared a loving hug as he patted her back. As they pulled away both of them looked happy, pure of heart and enlightened in some way. "And now I'll be truthful with you. I love Jason with all my heart. He's got his faults sure…But everyone does, no one is perfect." They finally let their grip disperse away as Tiger missed the warmth from her paws. He felt as though the next time he felt that warmth, it wouldn't be the same. "But no matter what happens, we'll always be friends and in each other's lives."

"I know," the jungle cat admitted sadly, but tried to keep smiling, for Samantha's sake. "All I can do is hope and wish for the best."

"I understand Tiger. I understand that there's been a little tension between the two of us lately, and that things could get strange and we might not talk as much. I only hope you'll see Jason for the kind of guy he is, and that things will be back to normal."

"_And I only hope you'll see him for the kind of guy he's becoming…_" he thought to himself but kept this charade going. "Alright then."

"Thank you Tiger." She gave him one last warming squeeze before departing. "I'll see you tomorrow then." She waved goodbye back facing him as the snow leopard walked down the steps to the lawn.

"Of course, see you later." It was strange to watch her go. He felt pardoned for feeling this way, perhaps even faithful to keep his ties strong to Samantha. But he didn't like how this was all playing out. But of course the jungle cat was the stubborn, thick headed type. The snow leopard knew that as well and knew it wasn't going to be easy to convince him, once he had his mind set on something it was extremely difficult to break him away from it. She would only have to show Tiger that Jason cared for her, just as she did for the jaguar. But Tiger knew deep down, there was something off about the guy, like he wasn't showing them everything, his new true character. Rina, who usually wasn't one to judge people from look and shows, sided with the jungle cat on this one. Call it a gut feeling, but he felt as though there were more cards to be dealt in this game of heartbreaks and true love. With Jason as the joker. A joker who will be punished should any harm come to Samantha.

"Guess I can only hope, wait and see, and slap some jack if it comes to that." A sly smile came across Tiger's face as he imagined Jason dressed up in a clown outfit, bad make-up across the face, being mauled by the mallet of kings whenever they're jokers failed to amuse them. But this was one charade that wasn't funny or fun, it couldn't get any better from here. Something big was going to go down very soon, and he had a strong feeling the jaguar would show his true colors in the future soon.

X

Sometime later in the middle of the junior year Jason was coming home from school on Wednesday and walked into his front doors, looking for his parents with a smile across his face.

"I'm home," he called out to them, but not a sound could be heard in the house. He looked over to see none other than his Uncle Mason sitting on the couch, waiting for him it seemed. It was the brother of his father. His nephew's happy smile was replaced with a more worried one, as the older jaguar didn't look to good, he felt as though something bad has just happened.

"Uncle, what's going on? Where are my parents?" Jason asked the older jaguar, as he took off his jacket to reveal only his tank top; it was strange indeed. Mason cleared his throat and stood up to meet Jason's gaze, being a few inches taller than him.

"Jason, here you should read this." He handed the younger jaguar a note. He took it from his uncle's grasp, turning around and started pacing around the room as he read it. He spoke the first line out loud to himself.

"Jason, we're sorry that we couldn't tell you this in person. There simply just wasn't enough time. But your mother and I have left." He let out a small gasp, what did that just mean? He read on, the words speaking out to him in his mind.

"_Your mother and I are on a business trip in Belfino. We'll be back within two weeks._"

Jason paused for a moment, as he was truly shocked. His parents were gone, and now he was on his own for the time being. A saddened estate took place within him, as he read more of the letter.

"_You're a grown man now Jason, though you're still young. You are mature enough and old enough to be on your own for this amount of time. We've left you a credit card that's linked to our account, anything you need you can obtain with that._"

Their son turned the note to see the card with his name on it taped on the back of the note. He carefully ripped it off, and studied in within his gaze, then soon turned his attention back to the note. The jaguar could tell by the writing that it was now his mother that was writing out towards him.

"_Jason you're a grown boy now. You can take care of yourself, but most of all, the house. You'll have to clean up after yourself, do the dishes, vacuum the carpets, and do your own laundry. The house is your responsibility now, get to bed on time and do your homework. Having friends over and movie nights are alright, but just remember we won't be around. Behave with Samantha when you two are alone._"

The words made Jason feel excited. If his parents weren't going to be around, then this was the perfect opportunity to finally get what he wanted with Samantha. And that was to have her in all her nude glory. But he quickly shock that thought off. He needed to think on how to do it. The jaguar looked back to the conclusion of the note, it seemed as though both of his parents were talking to him.

"_We're truly sorry about this Jason. Uncle Mason will check up on you often, but you're on your own for the time being, we'll talk often. We're sorry that we won't get to see you for a bit, and we hope to come home to you soon._"

"_From your loving parents; Mom and Dad._"

Jason let out a small sigh, he was left alone with nothing but the house and a credit card. He sat down and looked over to his uncle with a small frown; as Mason had the same.

"Oh I'm sorry Jason; I can understand this must be hard for you."

"No, it's alright. While my parents may be gone, the bright side is that I for the most part have the house to myself. I'm sure a lot of people like that."

"That's true, but you're on your own kid."

"But I've got you, Samantha, and my friends." He let out a small sigh, as he and Mason passed their goodbyes and was out the door. Life would start now, everything was counting on Jason. To keep the place nice and neat, while being a full time student as well. He took off the rest of his clothing from today, down to his boxers and tank top. He made a short trip to his room, while tidying it up a bit; his mother wasn't around anymore to tell him to clean it up. The jaguar put things away, and picked up trash, along with putting the clothing of today in a basket, that he would have to wash later.

While he was doing these things, his mind was thinking on how to get Samantha over and bring up the idea of sex with her. Jason could see it now; having dinner, or maybe watching a movie. Then he would propose the idea. He would also buy protection before hand to be smart and safe. Now the question was whether his girlfriend would accept this or not. If she did, then great. If not, then he would use force if needed. Jason was tired of waiting and wanted her. True, he would have to dump her if that happened. But he would get what he wanted either way.

The jaguar picked up the towel that was hanging off the edge of his bed and threw it across his shoulder; a nice hot shower would better help calm his nerves. The warm water impacting his fur along with the bubbly feeling of the soap and shampoo was exactly what he needed. After putting on some fresh shorts and a new tank top, he threw on his army sweater, and decided maybe a walk would do good for him, there was still plenty of time left until it would get late; and he would have to figure out something to fix for dinner that night. And also look into some things.

Jason figured that if he ended up raping Samantha, that he would have to find another way to go to school to avoid her. As it turned out, the option of taking online classes was optional. The jaguar would need to check that out.

He went out the front door, a bit colder then he thought it was going to be; but he had to remember he just jumped out of the shower, his body was probably still adjusted to the warm feeling inside. The jaguar began walking towards Samantha's home, but started walking the opposite direction. Jason really just wanted to be alone right now, and think things over. He kept walking and walking, not really paying attention to where he was headed, as he was walking down a road that would lead out into the country area, but took the opposite direction that lead into the city.

Jason was lost in his thoughts, this was just so sudden. His parents had never left in the past. He was going to be on his own for about two weeks. He kept walking until he noticed he was near Amy's home, as he could see her figure at the end of the street. He kept walking until he realized that this lady wasn't the leopard, but her mother.

She turned to see him, and gave him a friendly smile. Amy then came into the picture, taking a few bags from her mother's paws, and turned to see Jason standing there.

"Oh hey Jason," Amy called out to him nicely. However inside she felt uneasy about him since Tiger had told her. Then she felt surprise as she saw that he was a bit sad.

"Hi Amy," said the jaguar before nodding to her mother.

"Hello Jason. This is a surprise," she said.

The jaguar noticed that it seemed as they were just getting home from grocery shopping. "Oh, did you need some help?" he offered. Jason figured that he should still be the polite young man that he was even though he had plans for Samantha.

"Why that's nice of you Jason," Amy's mother talked to the jaguar as he approached her daughter, taking the bags out of her paws, as she grabbed some more from their car.

"Oh it's no problem, I'm happy to help." With his help they made one time trip, and walked into the front door of the home. Jason handed the items out of the bags to both Amy and her mother, as they packed them away in their appropriate places.

"Why thank you Jason." He turned at the sound of his name, though still a bit saddened, as the older leopard could see it past his seemingly happy smile.

"Oh it's no problem, I guess I better be off now." He gave them a small wave goodbye, and was making his way for the front door.

"I wonder what's up with him?" asked Amy. The leopard went after the jaguar and managed to catch him.

"Jason you look sad, do you want to talk about it?" Although she had her suspicions, the leopard couldn't help but wonder. He was on the other hand was a bit surprised. Was it really that simple to see through his fake smile? If that was the case, he needed to up his acting game.

"If we're going to talk, it might be best if we got everyone." He went out the front door first, followed by Amy. They quickly called up everyone and soon the friends were together.

"So what did you want to talk about?" asked Tiger. He was on guard. Even though his friend seemed sad it could be fake. Jason remained silent; he didn't really want to talk about it, though it was probably for the best. The first step of relief and healing was to open up your problem with others.

"It's a long story," he began. Samantha walked up to him and grasped his paw, wrapping hers around his own.

"We've got time," she said. The snow leopard smiled cutely towards him, as he gave her a small smile. The jaguar then spoke.

"Well, my parents are gone now."

"What do you mean by that?" Rina shot back, not really sure exactly on what he was trying to tell them. "They're not…?"

"What?! No!" said Jason as he figured out what she was getting at. "They're not dead at all!"

"Sorry," said the hyena quickly as Samantha gave her a look. The jaguar then went on to tell them about what the current situation was, and just how long his parents would be gone.

"Oh I'm so sorry Jason," said Samantha and leaned onto his shoulder, feeling his pain and loneliness. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Jason let out a small chuckle with a small smile.

"It's okay, my uncle will check up on me frequently."

"Well, I'll be here for you. All of us will." The snow leopard sounded happy, as Jason rubbed her arm. That was true, maybe he didn't have his parents around, but he had his uncle and his friends, and especially her; to comfort him in this state of loneliness right now.

Tiger on the other hand felt dread go through his body. This was the worst situation possible. The jaguar would be able to act and nobody would be there to stop it. The jungle cat then stopped himself. Again, if Samantha agreed to have sex, then who was he to argue with the decision? But somehow, Tiger couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad was about to happen. He could see the slight dangerous gleam in the jaguar's eyes.

"Yeah I know, thanks," he said. Samantha picked up her head and looked to her jaguar boyfriend, still a bit saddened, but seemed happy nonetheless. She gave him a small peck onto his cheek.

"No problem. So what about movie nights; can we still do that?" The group of friends had always done it at Jason's house since he had the biggest TV for years. The jaguar said they could. The group of friends then noticed it was starting to get late, and everyone would have to head home.

They walked away, but Tiger stopped Samantha before she went into her house. Both of their homes were next to each other.

"Listen Samantha," began the jungle cat. "I know what we said before, but I'm going to say it again. Be careful around Jason."

"Then here's what I have to say," she said, her voice going cold. "Jason won't hurt me since we love each other. Now just mind your own business." Without another word, the snow leopard went in.

Tiger was dumbfounded as he walked to his house. Samantha still couldn't see the truth. He had a nasty feeling that things were about to get worse.

X

It came true near the end of the first week when the jaguar's parents were gone. It was around dinner time when Samantha approached her mother. "I think I'll go over to Jason's house and see how he's doing."

"Okay then," said Tammy. "Just don't stay too long and be careful."

"I'll be fine. What could possibly happen?"

The snow leopard got into her car and drove to her boyfriend's house. In no time at all, Samantha was there. She got out, made her way to the front door, and rang the doorbell. Inside Jason had finished making dinner and was just about to take the first bite when he heard the noise.

"Who could it be at this hour?" the jaguar asked out loud. It couldn't be his uncle; Mason had already checked in on him that day. Jason went to the door and answered to find Samantha.

"Oh, Sam," he said. This was a surprise.

"Hey Jason," she said and looked onto him with a happy smile. The jaguar's mind went into over drive. This was the monument he needed.

"I was just about to eat dinner. Would you like to come in?"

"Sure." Samantha walked in and Jason closed the door. The snow leopard handed him her coat that she had brought with her since the night had begun to get chilly.

"I'll see you in the dining room," said Jason. His girlfriend made her way there while he quickly hung up her coat. The jaguar than used his speed booster technique to get to his room. Reaching under the bed, he brought out a bottle of birth control pills. He had snagged these from a drug store. He placed the pills in his pants pocket and made his way downstairs. Jason entered the room were Samantha was at.

The two talked as he ate. Although the jaguar offered her some, she politely declined because she had already eaten. The snow leopard wasn't suspicious in the least. After Jason was finished, the two went into the living room. The jaguar put on some music to lighten the mood. It was the romantic kind, and Samantha loved it as the two cuddled on the couch.

"I'm loving this," she said to him while leaning against Jason.

"Yeah," he said. "Samantha…"

"Yes?" Suddenly the jaguar pressed his lips against hers in a hungry way. The snow leopard responded and fought against his tongue. They suddenly found themselves laying on the couch with Jason on top and Samantha on the bottom. They didn't stop as the kisses got stronger and stronger.

"How do you feel?" he asked in the moments his mouth was off of her.

"That this is nice," Samantha whispered in between breaths. Jason had his body pressed up against her as they took things to a whole other level. Lust and desire had gotten the best of them as they kissed hard and rough for several moments at a time.

"It's nice." The jaguar finally caught his breath as they pulled apart for a quick moment. The snow leopard's heart was racing and her paws quivering with excitement yet strong fear. This was definitely not what she expected, but it happened and she just went with it. They got together again as she slid her paws down his strong back while he coursed his arm around her backside. With his right paw did Jason dare to reach for the zipper of the snow leopard's pants, and began to pull it down. His fingers went in the hole and touched her panties; right where her entrance was. Samantha's eyes bolted wide as she cut it off immediately to the invading touch. She grunted with that unwanted yet strong feeling as the snow leopard nearly bashed her skull against the hard edge of the couch.

"Jason what are you doing?!" she scolded him in a whispering tone, looking away as blush completely took over her face.

"What's wrong? You don't have to worry."

"No, I'm-I'm not ready for that!"

"I'll be gentle, just let it happen." He literally pressed her against the couch as she let out another grunt of high jolt feeling to her sensitive womanhood as it got touched.

"No stop it! Jason you're hurting me!"

"Why should it matter to you?" he growled. This made the snow leopard stop. The jaguar had never talked to her like that. She looked at his eyes and saw that they had a dangerous glint to them that she didn't like. "Ever since the summer passed I've wanted you. I'm done waiting. And I will get what I want. I was going to be gentle with you had you agreed. But since that's not the case I'll do this by force if I have to."

Samantha went cold with fear.

"I've been wanting this for so long. And you'll take it. You're going to endure being fucked by me." His lips crushed against her mouth as the snow leopard made sounds of protest. Tears came out of her eyes as she couldn't believe that this wonderful guy could be like this. How had this happen?

Jason managed to get her shirt off even though she struggled with everything she had. "It's pointless," the jaguar whispered dangerously in her ear. "I'm stronger than you. Don't make me hit you, you stupid bitch."

The snow leopard then realized that the jaguar was serious. Tiger had been right along with her friends about him. She was the only one who hadn't seen his true color. All of a sudden, hate and rage quickly replaced the surprise, heart break, and fear she was feeling.

Jason had managed to pull her pants down and his and take off his shirt. He was just about to remove her bra when the snow leopard caught his paw.

"Get off of me you son of a bitch," she growled. The response to that was a hard slap across her face. Samantha let out a grunt of pain.

"I told you not to do that," the jaguar said in a dangerous tone. "Now to see what you look like."

"I said get off of me!" the snow leopard screeched and unsheathed her claws. They dug hard into Jason's wrists. He let out a grunt of pain as he was forced to let go. This allowed Samantha to attack with a punch to both of his checks. The jaguar toppled off the sofa, unable to defend himself. He had severely underestimated his girlfriend.

She got him in the noise, which began to bleed. The snow leopard then got him on his muscled chest with her claws again and again. Jason was hardly conscious of this.

"I can't believe you!" Samantha yelled with pure rage, tears going down her check. "I loved you! And I thought you loved me! But all you wanted was some tail from me! To think I cared for you! Tiger and my friends were right about you! I should have listened to them! Consider this our final night together because I never want to see you again! We're over!" She stopped her attack. Grabbing her cloths and throwing them back on, the snow leopard ran out of the house, half blinded by tears.

Samantha got into her car and drove off. She needed someone, anyone to hold her. Someone other than her parents.

X

Tiger was out taking a night walk when he saw Samantha's car coming toward him from the street. It stopped a couple of feet from him and the snow leopard got out.

"Samantha," said the jungle cat. Suddenly he found her in his arms and was shocked to hear her crying. "Samantha, what is it?!"

She didn't respond, just crying violently and the jungle cat held her in comfort. He let the snow leopard let it all out. After awhile her sobs got quite.

"Samantha," began Tiger in a gentle voice. "What happened?"

"I…" she began as a few more tears came out. "Jason… he.." Samantha collapsed her head onto the jungle cat's muscled chest as she couldn't say it. But he quickly figured it out.

"That mother fucker," the jungle cat growled. "I told him he would regret it if he hurt you. Did he actually manage to rape you?"

"No, I managed to get him off of me."

"I'm going over to his house to give him more than a piece of my mind."

"No, don't," said Samantha. Tiger looked at her in shock. "I already did."

"It won't be enough."

"Just don't, you'll make it worse."

The jungle cat's eyes softened. "Okay then," he said. "So what are you going to do now?"

"I won't see him anymore," said the snow leopard. "I ended our relationship. Tiger… You were right about him and I should have listened."

"Your safe, that's all that matters. Would you like to spend the night at my house for safety?"

"Yes," said the snow leopard. "Just don't say anything to anyone about this just yet. Promise me." Tiger did and the two walked into his house. He figured it was the best thing for now.

Mallory and John were surprised by this idea. The two teens told them that Samantha had to because it was the right thing. The look their son had told them not to question about it. The jungle cat then called the snow leopard's parents and told them the same thing. Tiger then said that now was not the time to ask. His tone made it pretty clear to not question this. The snow leopard's mom and dad then said it was okay.

As Tiger hung up, he was glad that the whole weekend would allow Samantha to recover since this happened on a Friday. But what would happen on Monday? Would Jason show himself? If he did, the jungle cat would make the jaguar pay.

X

Meanwhile the jaguar shakily pulled himself into a standing position, using the sofa to do most of the work. He had no idea what had happened, at least after the fifth attack had connected, and he could only imagine how long he had been lying on the floor in a puddle of his own blood from the wounds inflected on him.

Jason staggered to a mirror in one of the bathrooms, wincing in pain. He took a look and saw the damage Samantha had done. His nose was bleeding, his muscled chest had gashes from her claws, dried blood running down that area as a result. Both his cheeks were swollen from the punch that Samantha had dished out. And his eyes had a dangerous gleam to them.

The guy that stood before him was no longer the smooth, quick talking, good looking Jason Myers. No. The only one in the room now was a defeated jaguar who only had one thing on his mind.

"_This didn't happen! I had her right in front of me! She was all mine! Everything was going perfectly!_"

Despite the pain that radiated from his entire body he couldn't help but slam his fist onto the sink. What the jaguar felt then was nothing compared to the anger and rage that seethed from every inch of his body. He hadn't cared whether or not Samantha would agree to have sex with him. But now, now he wanted her body that much more. He didn't care for the snow leopard's feelings anymore.

Jason's breathing finally steadied as he continued to stand above the sink, staring into the purple eyes across from him. They were full of malice and darkness, feelings that he had never felt before yet embraced with an eagerness, knowing they would give him the opportunity strike back. To take his revenge on that bitch.

Nothing else didn't matter anymore. The rage that continued to build up inside of the jaguar was unequaled by any he had ever felt before. He had been beaten. And to add salt to his wounds, he had been check-mated right as he prepared for his shining moment. Right when he was finally going to get what he had been lusting for since he had started the junior year.

The realization of this only caused him to harden his heart even further as he clenched his fists and tried to hold back the shaking that his paws continued to put off. Then…Jason stopped. He looked down at his paws, opening them and watching the blood run down his palms with a sense of satisfaction. He looked back into the mirror, this time seeing, not the defeated, beaten up jaguar from earlier, but the powerful animal he was. Plotting, thinking, preparing his next move. Sure he had lost the battle, but this was a war that was far from over.

He would sit back and lick his wounds, allowing the hate and rage to settle in his heart until it filled him to the brink of insanity. He would wait until the moment was right as Samantha would slowly let her guard down.

"Enjoy your escape for now," he muttered darkly. "Because I am far from beaten."

"_Before your senior year is over, I will strike. I will have what I want. And I'm going to do so much more to you than just rape you._"

Jason imagined how his victory would play out. He would corner her and take her to a place where nobody would know and that the snow leopard wouldn't be able to escape. She would be forced to endure Jason as he would have his way with her; doing what he pleased. And then she would become his sex slave for the rest of her life. It caused the most sadistic of smirks to slide across the jaguar's face and he couldn't help but allow a chuckle of pleasure to rumble from his throat, slowly growing in strength until it was a menacing cackle that rang throughout the room and house.

"You better enjoy your time while you can Samantha!" he yelled crazily. "Because I can guarantee it will be short!"


	41. Chapter 41

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 41: Remembering the Past; Part Three

Samantha spent the entire weekend at Tiger's house. The snow leopard helped around the house as payment, but didn't set foot outside, not even for a second. She was so afraid that Jason might jump her is she was out in the open. The event of what he tried to do was still fresh in her mind. But then there was the problem of Monday. She had to go back to school. And possibly face him.

"I promise," Tiger reminded her as he drove her to the building. "I won't let anything happen to you at all. If he so much as looks at you, I'll give him a hit or two." The jungle cat had told Amy beforehand that he was helping the snow leopard out and that was why he wasn't picking the leopard up that day.

"I… don't know about this," whispered Samantha. "I can't face him."

"I told the others that you and Jason had broke up, but not the reason why," said the jungle cat. "They know to keep him away from you. We'll all help." The snow leopard began to feel a little better.

"Thanks," she said. The two made it, and got out. Samantha felt fear going through her body. She and Jason shared two of the same classes. One of those she also had with Tiger and the other with Rina and Amy. Perhaps everyone could help her.

However it wasn't necessary at all since Jason didn't show up. At first the snow leopard assumed he was running late. But as the day passed, the jaguar never showed up. Samantha kept getting more and more nervous that he would appear at any second. But when the school day was over, she had admit that he didn't come at all.

"I wonder what that was about?" she asked Tiger as they walked back to his car since he needed to drop her off at her house. "Jason didn't come at all."

"I don't know," said the jungle cat. "But keep your eyes open for him. And if you do see him, just go the other way."

The jaguar didn't show up the next day or the next all the way up until Friday. Jason seemed to have missed an entire week's worth of school. Finally Samantha talked with the audience office and found out why he hadn't shown up. Jason was now doing the online courses that the school offered. This made the snow leopard wonder what he was up to. She ended up telling Tiger.

"If that is the case, then we don't have to worry about him for now," said the jungle cat. "But still beware of him."

This wouldn't be necessary since the jaguar was purposely avoiding everyone he knew. So Samantha would drop her guard so he could attack. In the meantime he continued to put on a fake show for his parents so they wouldn't suspect a thing. And that was pretending to be sad that he and Samantha weren't an item anymore. His mother was the first to fall for it and it happened two days after she and his dad got back from their trip.

Tera had noticed Jason had been very quietly lately, as his smile had faded from his being ever since she got back. As she prepared dinner she just couldn't stand by and watch any longer.

"Jason honey is something wrong? You looked troubled." He didn't even look towards his mother; he only kept his attention truly away from her.

"Mom…" The jaguar started out quietly, his voice frail and hardly above a whisper. She didn't seem to hear that it was fake. "I don't think Samantha will be coming around anytime soon anymore."

"Oh honey, did you two break up?" She gave the young man her sympathy, but of course she would. Tera was his own mother after all, but she didn't know what happened while away. Jason hadn't told his parents and frankly he didn't feel as though he should nor did he want to. He just gave them the story that was bland enough to pass.

"It just…didn't work out." After that he excused himself with no other words, and headed up the stairs to his room. Tera couldn't help but feeling sad as she turned back toward dinner. Samantha was a nice girl and they seemed right for one another. Though if it wasn't meant to…then it wasn't meant to be. Nothing more can be done. Now the question was what her son would do now.

She along with James found this out when their son told him that he had tried the online courses, and would do so for the rest of the year. They were shocked that he was doing well since normally online courses were hard. They then told Jason that it was alright to continue this if that's what he wanted.

The rest of the year continued by without incident. Samantha eventually opened up to Rina and Amy about what had happened between her and the jaguar with Tiger helping her tell. The jungle cat told them to not push this and talk the snow leopard's ear off. She had been through enough already. Tiger also told them not to say anything to her parents or Jason's. When the time was right, they would tell.

The junior year ended, but now more drama was about to happen. And it all began one week after school had let out for the summer.

X

Tiger was just on his way back to his house from grocery shopping when his phone in his pants pocket went off. Wondering who it could be, the jungle cat answered. "Hello?"

There was a slight pause, a sniffle, then a familiar, tear stained voice spoke. "Hi T-Tiger. I need you to come over to my house now." It was Amy.

"Amy?! What…" The jungle cat gulped hard before continuing, hating to hear her cry because it made him sad. "…What is it?"

"Please," he heard the leopard. "Just please." Tiger could hear Amy crying again.

"I'll be right there." The jungle cat hung up and was at her house in five minutes. The moment he got out of the car, the front door open and Amy came running out. She flung herself into his arms. Tiger could hear her crying.

"Amy, what is it?" he asked, holding her gently.

"Tiger…" she began, her voice choked with sadness."I had t-to tell you in person. I'm so sorry, but I'm afraid… I have to break up with you since I can't see you anymore."

The jungle cat felt his heart break. "Break up?" he whispered. "But why?"

"My parents and I are moving to Titus because they lost their jobs here. A-and they've found new ones there. I can't stay behind; they told m-me it wouldn't work out."

Tiger held her closer, a tear running down his check. "No, this can't be," he whispered. "You can't leave Amy. I love you."

"I know, a-and I love you to," she cried softly. "So much that it hurts. Oh Tiger…"

"I'm glad you told me in person," he whispered. "This was the right thing to do."

"How? This is tearing me in two."

"Perhaps this could be a sign that our lives are supposed to take different paths," said the jungle cat. "I believe things like this don't happen without reason. We must stay strong. Can you do that for me?"

The leopard wiped her tears and gave a small smile. "I'll try," she said.

"Amy, listen to me closely. Even if we can't go out any more, it doesn't me we can still be friends," said the jungle cat. "We'll stay in touch. I promise."

"Thank you," she whispered. "I'll never forget the good times you gave me."

"And I won't either."

Two days later Amy and her family left Titus after saying goodbye to their friends except for Jason and his family. Although Tiger's parents were sad to see them go, Mallory wondered if this could be the opportunity for her son and the snow leopard to finally hook up. Although probably a relationship was the farthest thing from their minds. The mother jungle cat knew that Samantha was no longer dating Jason. The leopard and jungle cat kept their promise. And when he would marry the snow leopard in the future, Amy was one of the guests who would be invited. She ended up coming to wish her two friends luck.

Over the course of the summer, Tiger ended up hanging out a lot with Samantha. The two could relate to one another's pain, and it allowed them to bound. They considered themselves to only be friends; despite the fact that everyone else thought they might be a couple. During this time, the jungle cat made two special tracking amulets for both of them. This was for safety against Jason who still hadn't shown his face all this time. The way each worked was that you had to press the jewel button twice in rapid secession with a finger so it wouldn't accidentally go off while in a pocket. The other one would light up and vibrate with a beeping noise for ten seconds to alert the other carrier. Depending on how far away someone was would determine how fast the light would blink on and off. The farther away, the slower it would go, the closer, the faster it would go.

The final school year started, and Tiger and Samantha had most of their classes together. But danger was approaching them.

X

Jason in the meantime was preparing for his attack on the snow leopard. He could see it now. Then one night at the beginning of the school year, he was taking a walk, unaware that he was being watched by a probe droid and a figure.

"_Soon,_" the jaguar thought darkly. "_I will have her. Nothing will stop me. The only question is how to do it?_"

Suddenly a voice sounded out. "I can help you get what you want."

"Who's there?!" Jason shouted and brought his Cerinian weapon out. He whipped around to see none other than Shade standing there. And this guy looked evil. "Who are you?"

"My name is Shade Greyback," said the coyote. "And I've been watching you."

"Watching me?"

"That's right. I know of the pain you've gone through. How you've wanted something and failed to get it. And now you will stop at nothing to obtain it."

"How do you know all that?" asked Jason.

"I've had a special probing droid following you for some time." The coyote pointed to the machine above him. "It has the ability to pick up negative emotions. That's how I find people; ones who will join me."

"What are you talking about?" asked the jaguar. Shade then went on to explain that he planned to take over this system and rule it. He had others with him who bore hatred at the species who lived on Eladard.

"Will you help me? If you do, I will grant you powers beyond your wildest dreams. And I will help you get what you want."

"I-I don't-" began Jason.

"I know what you want, and I know this," said Shade. "She never loved you at all. If she had, she would have agreed to have sex with you."

"You're right," said the jaguar as an evil aura seemed to surround him. A wicked, sadistic grin came onto his face. "Samantha didn't love me at all. Very well Shade, I'll help you."

"Excellent," said the coyote. "I'll get a place set up for you for it to happen. Now come with me." The two went to a two flyer ship that took them to the same evil mother ship that would descend towards Eladard years later. A plan was quickly established.

"When you're finished with her you must take care of any family members by killing them. Then bring her back here and your new life will begin."

"I understand," said the jaguar. He then quickly got marked with the triangle mark that he would have when he came back years later.

X

Meanwhile, Tiger and Samantha were getting into the swing of things of their senior year. The only downside was that Jason's parents had called them. They hadn't heard of their son in some time. It made the jungle cat and snow leopard worried about what would happen. But life still continued.

Sometime latter before the middle of the senior year, the two teens were at her house doing some studying. They agreed to be study partners and that allowed them to spend almost every night with each other. The two always had fun laughing, and joking around. They didn't realize that they were slowly falling for each other.

"I think that's the end of that," said Tiger as he closed his books.

"I'm beat," said Samantha and did the same thing. The jungle cat quickly glanced over at her and couldn't help but think that she looked so beautiful. Then again she always had. But there was no way in hell he would be able to get with her. Only because she had been against a relationship with a guy ever since Jason. The snow leopard had made it clear that she wasn't interest in dating at all, but didn't give the reason why to others.

"Let's get something to eat," she said. "I'm hungry."

The two made a snack and ate in silence. The snow leopard was stealing glances at him and had to slap herself mentally when she realized what she was doing. What was wrong with her? Samantha didn't mind admitting that Tiger was good looking and cool, but she couldn't be in another relationship since that incident.

When they finished, the two decided to say good night. "I'm really glad we decided to do this," said Tiger. "It's really helped a lot."

"I know," said Samantha.

"I'll see you around then."

"And Tiger." She waited for just a moment as the jungle cat locked eye contact with the happy snow leopard one last time for the evening. "Thank you. Thank you so much for everything."

"No problem Samantha. Good night." And with that he departed for the evening. For some reason Samantha breathed uneasy, just what was he up to? Her face felt flushed and butterflies flew in her stomach. Now it was a challenge to stop smiling as the snow leopard thought deeply to herself, thinking of Tiger Bie, the only guy she knew to have a heart of gold and warmth of the sun itself. Samantha caught herself in the act as she looked toward the door and her smile softly putting on a dreamy state.

No it couldn't be…She hadn't felt this way since…

X

A month later found the two attending Rina's 18th birthday party. Little did they know that Jason was also on the planet and had found the snow leopard. He was wearing a simple black cloak to hide his features. He was now watching her leave the hyena's house. He slowly descended from a tree that he had been sitting in.

Samantha was walking down the street towards her car, when a feeling of unease went through her body. She went on guard in case something happened, but continued to walk, unaware of the figure slowly coming up behind her with her right paw in her pocket where the amulet was. Suddenly the snow leopard got grabbed, a paw covering her mouth and the other locking her arms. Samantha immediately hit the amulet she had in her right pants pocket twice with a finger. Then both her paws came up to break this attack while letting out muffled gasps. Suddenly a cloth was placed over her nose and mouth. Samantha could smell some chemical on it before she got knocked out.

Meanwhile Tiger was about to leave when he heard the amulet in his pocket go off. He took it out and saw that it was activated. The jungle cat knew that it meant. Tiger took off ignoring the shouts of his friends and Rina. He had to find Samantha, and fast.

The said girl was slowly regaining conscious; how long had she been out? The snow leopard tried to move, only to discover that her paws had been tied above her head and that her legs were tied as well but spread out to a tree. She also felt that her Cerinian weapon was gone. Samantha could also see that she was in some clearing in a forest.

"Seems you're finally awake," said a voice. Samantha found that she could turn her head as she saw a black cloaked figure to her right.

"What do you want with me?" she snarled.

"I think you know even though it's been some time," said the figure. The snow leopard felt dread going through her as the person took off the clock to reveal none other than Jason. "How's it hanging?" The article of clothing landed on the ground.

"Jason! No!" Samantha struggled to break free.

"Don't even think about escaping," said the jaguar. "It can't be done. And if you're wondering where you're Cerinian weapon is, I've got it here." He took her necklace out from his pants pocket and showed it to her before putting it on the ground. "And don't think that anyone will come save you since nobody knows where you are."

The snow leopard saw that this guy was completely different from the Jason she knew. This jaguar was evil.

"Now then," he said, walking up to her. "I'm going to enjoy this. And this time, I will have your body."

"Jason you can't do this!" she replied tearfully, feeling completely and utterly hopeless, knowing that she didn't have a choice anymore, tears beginning to run down her face.

"Yes I can Samantha. Because if _I _can't then no one can," he sneered, pushing her head back against the tree as the snow leopard tried to pull away. "The first time I realized I wanted to fuck you, I knew you would be mine, no matter what it took."

"Even this? Jason this isn't right, you don't love me!"

"No! YOU don't love ME!" the jaguar snarled back. "If you had you would have agreed to this the first time! And now it will be a hundred times worse to make you pay for what you did to me!"

Tears continued to run down the Samantha's face as the realization of what was going to happen stabbed her in the heart with every beat. But she couldn't fight back. How could she? She was tied down, and the snow leopard wasn't nearly as strong as Jason. On top of that, her Cerinian weapon was gone. So Samantha did the only thing she could think of doing in the current situation. And that was to hope that Tiger was coming to save her. But things seemed pretty hopeless.

The snow leopard could see that Jason had truly snapped. He had gone over the edge wanting only her body to satisfy his needs. The jaguar lusted for her and would get what he wanted. Samantha saw him bring out his Cerinian weapon and felt it cut through her shirt which brought a surprise gasp of fear from the snow leopard. The jaguar ripped the rest away to expose her bra and upper body before ripping the pants off of her. The clothing landed in a pile near the snow leopard's feet.

Jason quickly had his shirt off, and an even more dangerous glint in his eyes appeared as he licked his lips in a sickening way. "You better get used to this," he whispered. "Because this will only be the first of the many times you'll get fucked." His paw grabbed her left breast and squeezed it painfully, making Samantha cry out in pain. "And this will continue until the day you die."

The snow leopard then realized with horror that she was going to be made into his sex slave.

"And if I'm feeling generous, you'll get fucked by my other friends," the jaguar continued. "But you will mostly only satisfy me." He then suddenly poured some liquid from a bottle from his pants pocket into her mouth. The snow leopard was forced to swallow this drink since it came so suddenly.

"Just some birth control mixed with water so you don't get pregnant from this," said Jason over the sound of Samantha's coughing. "I can't have you do so yet. Now the fun begins."

The snow leopard felt him get closer to her and make their way to were the strands of her bra were. She closed her eyes waiting for the torture to begin when a voice sounded out in the clearing.

"Get you fucking paws off of her Jason!"

Samantha opened her eyes and looked to the sound as did the jaguar to see Tiger standing in front of them.

"Tiger!" she yelled.

"Tiger!" Jason snarled as the said guy descended into the clearing. "How the fuck did you find us?!"

"With this," he said, holding up his amulet. "Samantha's got one as well." The jaguar's eyes went with fear as he realize he had screwed up in his plans.

"So what will you do?" he whispered dangerously. "Kill me?"

"If that's what it takes, then I will to save her."

"You'll never best me in a fight!"

"We'll see," said the jungle cat and brought out his Cerinian weapon. "Get ready."

"You are not prepared!" shouted the jaguar and charged at Tiger. Their weapons met in a clash of sparks. Samantha couldn't turn her head away from the sight. The snow leopard felt fear going through her for Tiger. He couldn't loose or die.

The two males fought with everything they had. Even though the jaguar was stronger than before, the jungle cat had a cool head. Even when his opponent inflected a few wounds on him, Tiger just kept pushing back. Then the battle changed in his favor, and inflected several wounds on his opponent. The blood came streaming out.

"Aurgh!" shouted Jason in pain. He then leaped up into a tree using his speed booster technique. He had no choice but to retreat. "You may have won this time Tiger Bie! But I will come back for her someday! You two haven't seen the last of me!" He then disappeared from sight.

The jungle cat let out a breath. He quickly picked up the discarded cloak left behind and cut it into strips to bind his wounds. He then went over to Samantha and cut through her bindings. The snow leopard fell into his arms.

"You beat him," she whispered. "And you saved my life." Tiger gathered up her cloths and handed them to her. Samantha quickly put them on. She was blushing, just like he was.

"I couldn't let you die. I never could."

"But why? Why would you do all that and this for me?" The moment had come. Tiger took Samantha's paws in his own. She could feel herself trembling.

"Because I love you," he said before pressing his lips on hers.

Instantly he felt the surprise in her body and she brought her paws up to his shoulders, trying to push him away, telling herself she couldn't do this again even though her entire mind had already given in to the amazing feeling of his mouth locked onto hers. Tiger felt the resistance in her body but he only held her tighter and went deeper with the kiss knowing that it was the only way to show the snow leopard how much he loved her. All the way back to when they were kids.

Then all of a sudden Samantha's brain seemed to disconnect from her body. The feelings of doubt and fear she had faded away, replaced with love and passion as she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss. Her arms tightened, bringing him in closer.

The small part of her brain that retained sanity was wondering. The snow leopard didn't know how to feel anymore towards any guy. She had been heartbroken by what Jason had done to her. So then why? Why couldn't she stop this? Why couldn't she find it in herself to make this stop? Why didn't she want this to stop? That his arms around her were not tight enough for her? And that she thought that Tiger was the most handsome and coolest guy she had known?

The questions were stupid because the snow leopard already knew the answer. She had liked Tiger as kids. But ever since her last breakup she had fallen in love with the jungle cat. He had stitched up her broken heart with love of his own. Just like she had done for him after Amy had been forced to break up with the jungle cat. Both of them had left their mark on each other without realizing it. Now that Samantha knew, she wanted to be with Tiger.

The jungle cat felt her tongue meet his, showing the sweet taste that she had, the taste that would now belong to him and him alone. She pushed him back now until he was against the side of the tree, still holding her body tight against his own as the unspoken words continued to shout out between them.

Finally they eased their lips away from each other, leaving them both to catch their breath. Tiger continued to hold Samantha against him, hoping that if he didn't let go of her she couldn't leave him. The snow leopard leaned her head against his muscled chest.

"So then…" said the jungle cat."Does that mean you…?"

"Yes," she said. "I love you to. And I want to stay by your side."

"So; will you go out with me?" asked Tiger.

"I couldn't say no to you," said Samantha before looking up to him before kissing him on the check. "I realized know that I should've had you as my boyfriend instead. Now you are."

"Better late than never," said the jungle cat and placed a kiss on top of her head. The two then shared a small kiss; their first one as officially being boyfriend and girlfriend.

"So what are we going to do when Jason comes back?" asked Samantha after they came apart. "I know he will."

"We'll be ready for him," said Tiger. "And we'll fight back."

X

He allowed her to spend the night at his house. This time, the two told Tiger's parents everything that had happened, including the incident of Jason trying to rape Samantha the first time. They called her parents and told them as well. But when Jason's parents were called, nobody answered. Very quickly the two older jaguars were discovered to be dead; stabbed in multiple areas. Tiger and Samantha had a nasty feeling who did it. It just showed how evil Jason really had become.

He didn't come back and with him out of the way, the two could enjoy their new life together. They told everyone that they were officially a couple; much to the joys of their parents and Rina. The two had been heartbroken, and now they were happy once again. The jungle cat and snow leopard went on many dates, one of which was to one of the 18 year old clubs since the two were old enough. It was here that Tiger met Sig and Kivuli who worked as DJs. The three hit if off right away and became quick friends.

One of the biggest highlight of the year for the young couple was Prom. Not only did they have fun, they were also crowned the king and queen of the event. But after graduating, the two had a bit of a problem with their parents about their choices for a career. Tiger liked the kind of work that Sig and Kivuli did, and wanted to own his own club for 18 year olds. Samantha wanted to own a flower shop. Their parents thought they should do something else since they were bright. But the jungle cat and snow leopard's minds were set and the mothers and fathers then allowed them to since it was their choice.

The two were able to get their jobs at the same places that in time they would own. Samantha found a nice apartment, but Tiger managed to get a one person house that had a huge back yard. It was perfect for someone who was just starting out. Then at the age of 19, the two decided to volunteer their time at one of the special school for part Cerinians. The same one that Nicholas McCoy was attending. Nothing too exciting would happen for the two until about three years later.


	42. Chapter 42

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 42: Remembering the Past; Part Four

Author's notes: A wild dog is the same as an African wild dog that's found on that content. But since Africa doesn't exist in the Star Fox universe, they're just called wild dogs. Also some of the lyrics in the two songs that appear in this chapter had to be changed.

X

Tiger broke through the glassy surface of the crystal blue water of the indoor pool. The jungle cat breathed in deeply as he lay on his back staring up at the glossy glass surface of the dome roofing covering over the pool to trap in all the heat and deploy it useable even during the cold weather. He swam for the ladder in the deep end section of the pool next to the diving board. Samantha stared at her jungle cat boyfriend from the bubbling hot tub, wearing a cute and slightly revealing baby blue bikini with white border stripes.

She, Rina, and some of their female friends were relaxing as all eyes were on Tiger as he climbed up the diving board ladder and prepared for his next dive. They cheered loudly catching his attention as the jungle cat sent a nice wave their way and then went back to concentrating. He got his running start and leaped right on the edge of the board to propel him upward. His body spiraled and twisted sideways as he spun rapidly as it was a combination with a back flip. Tiger dove in perfectly with his paws breaking the water. The other guys in the pool also cheered.

"A perfect ten," Samantha stated proudly looking back to her friends.

"You always give him that," said a green feline that was in the tub.

"Fine, a nine," said the snow leopard. "Happy?"

"Eh- I'd say that was more like an 8.5," said a white vixen with crystal blue eyes that then let out a slight yawn as she leaned up against the rough surfaced stone slabs.

"Of course Tasha has to be the picky one," said Rina who rolled her yellow eyes as she heard Tasha's slight giggle to her right. The hyena then turned to Samantha.

"Hey Sam."

"What?" the snow leopard asked curiously as she turned back toward her friend.

"Have you and Tiger…you know, _got together_ yet?"

"What?! No!" she responded, with blush on her face. The idea made her heart go into hyper drive.

"But he's Tiger Bie! He was one of the most popular and hottest guys from our class. And he hasn't lost it." Rina batted her finger back and forth as if mentoring Samantha, her tone high with a hint of remark. "Not that my boyfriend isn't that."

"He hasn't even brought it up yet," said the snow leopard. "I'm sure he's thinking the same thing. I mean I've imagined it. But I still don't know about it."

"Suit yourself girl; if it was me and I was single, I'd be jumping on _top _of that in a heartbeat! Just remember my little lecture, and to take a pill before. In the end it's what all guys want."

"Maybe sometime in the future, he's still…you know, a _first _timer."

"Oh my god are you serious!?" All of the girls in the tub said that as their faces held both excitement and sure disbelief as their eyes went wide. Samantha only nodded her head slightly. "Wow lucky you! You're going to be the one to take it away from dear old Tig and he'll take it from you since it will be your first time," said a female otter that had blue fur.

"Hey what'cha girls talking about?" asked a voice. Tiger and all the other guys had sneaked up behind them all of a sudden as they startled the ladies. They all looked up to their darling smiles with water dripping down their sides.

"Oh nothing you know, girl stuff and all the like," Rina quickly tried to cover up their conversation. Sooner or later Tiger would figure it all out. The males quickly got in the tub. At first they felt a sudden jolt of tingles flow across their bodies from the quick changing of steaming hot water soaking their cooled bodies. But after a few moments they quickly adapt to the warming sensation. Tiger leaned up against the wall spreading his muscular arms wide as Samantha helped herself, resting her head up against the jungle cat's shoulder blade. He gently clunked his head up against her own resulting in a small giggle. The other boys did the same with their girls.

"You know, maybe we should all go see a movie or something when were finished here," said Rina.

"Sounds good to me," said her boyfriend, a wild dog. The others quickly agreed. They got out of the hot tub after a few minutes and made their way to the changing rooms. Samantha could feel her friend's eyes on her. Finally she turned to them.

"Look, do you have something to say?" Rina spoke up.

"Just take him to your place, have him relax, and then do it."

"Rina I don't want to force it onto him." Samantha tried to defend herself and Tiger but the hyena wasn't about to back down.

"Oh believe me girl, when a hot guy is asked that sort of thing he never sees it as forced on. Remember, pill, relax, _business_, and a pill after wouldn't hurt either. Some guys loose track when the time comes and they forget all about it while mixed up in all the passion. Pregnancy is definitely not some laughing matter like some jerk-offs think it is. I knew a friend that was this close to becoming pregnant." She estimated the incremented chance of her friend's impregnation with her fingers with just a tiny slither of space.

Seeing that there was no way to argue with this did Samantha bow her head in defeat and let out a small sigh. "Fine."

The group of friends then made their way out and had a good time at the movies. But while getting refreshments, Tasha turned to Rina.

"You know I'm a little surprise," she whispered to the hyena behind her paw.

"Of what; Tiger _being_ a virgin or they haven't done it yet?"

"Well both really. That night is going to be a lot of fun for those two." She had no idea of how right she was going to be.

X

A few days later found both the jungle cat and the snow leopard at her apartment. Tiger had just gotten back from his shift at the bar. Life had become a little hectic as of late. He thought that Samantha had it easier than him. All she had to do was work reasonable hours at the flower shop. He, on the other hand, had to work during the evenings and sometimes at odd hours of the night.

Fortunately the jungle cat didn't have to work every single day. He got Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays off. The fourth day was where he stayed home and relaxed with Samantha. The first three days were days he went to volunteer at one of the special schools for part Cerinians along with the snow leopard. The only reason why he had gone to the pool with Samantha and their friends was because the special school he volunteered at was on a break. He couldn't help but smile on the inside as he thought about a certain vulpine named Nicholas McCoy who went to that same school. That guy was turning into one hell of a fighter.

"You alright there babe?" Samantha asked, picking up her head from his chest as she was lying on top of Tiger. The jungle cat was fully lying on the couch as they were alone in the large room near the kitchen. He covered his forehead as he let out a groggy moan.

"I feel a bit tired, and I think I got a headache brewing up."

"I'll say; they got you working at odd hours." The snow leopard picked herself up and leaned in to give him a quick peck on the forehead. "I'll get you something to drink and to help the pain."

"Thanks," he called back letting out a hefty sigh as he breathed in deeply. The snow leopard made it to the kitchen and took out a glass from the cupboard and filled it with some crystal clear water. As she went through the cupboards for some pain relieving medicine did a particular bottle stood out from all the others. She slowly took out the bottle as she looked over its pamphlet saying, '_Out of Sight Birth Control Pills_, _Your best selection to prevent your impregnation.'_ Her spine shivered as she read that cheesy saying, as her mind went back to what Rina had told her.

Samantha wasn't quite sure if she and Tiger were ready for this, but she decided to go on behalf of her friend's advice. She didn't want to lose her boyfriend and wanted to please him greatly so they could be together for a long while. Hell maybe even forever. The snow leopard wanted the jungle cat and honestly thought if this is what he wanted she wasn't going to argue with it; though she wasn't complaining either. The feeling of lust for him had been growing stronger and stronger with each day ever since what the hyena had suggested. But there was also another reason. She had to somehow thank him properly for saving her from Jason. Samantha dug out a single pill and studied it within her paw as it was half turquoise and half blood red in color. She got out a single glass for herself and quickly filled it with water.

With a final thought Samantha quickly place the pill in her mouth and took a couple healthy gulps of water, feeling the pill work its way down her throat as it was rather large. She let out a couple of coughs as she breathed in strongly through her nose and placed the glass into the sink. The snow leopard quickly filled up Tiger's own glass and grabbed two pain reliever pills for the headache brewing up in his head and returned to her jungle cat boyfriend. He looked back to her strangely as his girlfriend who looked a bit flustered as she handed him the glass and pills.

"You alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine," she answered rather quickly as if trying to defend herself, or hide something up. But Tiger thought of nothing suspicious and merely took her word for it. He sat up as he took the pills and glass from her warm but slightly damp paws.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." The snow leopard took a seat beside him and watched as the jungle cat gulped down the pills with the thirst quenching water and set the glass onto the sofa stand. But before he could lean back down completely, she quickly reach for his paw.

"Come on, why don't we relax in my room?" Samantha quickly pulled Tiger out of his seat as they ran down the hall towards her room. Tiger found it a bit strange as the snow leopard was practically dragging him all the way down. They finally made it to the bedroom door. She opened the door and let him walk in first as he was a bit weirded out at the way she had been acting.

Samantha quietly closed the door behind her and locked it tight so they wouldn't be disturbed. The two took their original positions on her bed as Samantha lay on top of the tired jungle cat as he tried to relax. Tiger felt like he was on a cloud as the cushioning was soft and probably recently washed as the slight scent of fabric softener stabled his senses and calmed his mind. Samantha rested her head onto his muscled chest as her boyfriend completely collapsed under the relaxation and closed his eyes. The jungle cat breathed easy for now.

All of a sudden a tremendous shiver went down his spine and Tiger's back went rigid, his face flushed, and his heart sped up as he looked down. He saw Samantha tugging at his fly with much force; his body in reality was heating up quickly but his eyes went wide and his lips shivered. She gave up for a slight minute and sat on her knees across his lower body throwing off her blouse.

"W-What are you doing?" the jungle cat asked nervously easily defined through his tone.

"Trying to get your damn fly down, why do guys have to have such confusing flies?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Tiger murmured ever so quickly and immediately sat back up quickly unintentionally pushing Samantha away, by getting up so quickly did he in fact topple over the bed, slipping out of his pants and landing roughly onto the soft carpeting. He quickly pulled himself up by the bed sheets his face completely flushed. "What do you think you're doing!?"

The snow leopard was completely lost in words as she hadn't expected this twist of the plot of actions. "W-What do you mean?"

"I know why, but why were you trying to tug my pants down!?" Tiger without knowing was shouting, though not with anger; just with complete utter surprise and embarrassment. He made sure to not show his southern region as a bit of swelling was taking place down there.

"I-Isn't this what you want?" The jungle cat held his head within his paws as he couldn't believe what she was trying to do; how could she even think that this is what he wanted? Yes he had imagined doing it with her while pleasuring himself. But he wasn't ready to actually do it yet.

"No, no, no," Tiger chanted his words as he let out a groggy moan. Samantha just looked at him a little surprised herself as the blush flowed across her face. He looked up to her but quickly looked away clenching his eyes as his girlfriend's shirt was still off.

"Put your shirt back on please," the jungle cat talked quietly as innocence flushed over his muzzle. The snow leopard threw her shirt back on and sat on the bed slouching on her left arm. Tiger slowly crawled his way back up to the bed as he wanted to talk to her about this, though it was much more awkward now. He held her gently as her head leaned up against his muscled chest as the jungle cat enclosed his arms around her petite figure.

"Samantha," he began, while swallowing to calm his uncontrollable nerves, "This, this is not something you want to just throw at me. Although it seems glamorous it's not needed right now. I-, please don't try that again for now. This isn't just a one sided topic; I don't need nor _want _sex unless you believe so yourself as well." He had her look straight into his eyes as Tiger spoke from the heart, cupping her face as she was completely stunned. Samantha was speechless. The snow leopard had thought every guy was the same when it came to sex, but…her jungle cat boyfriend was different. He wasn't ashamed or thought of being ridiculed because of not having it, and he was the one saying no. He was definitely pure of heart and only wanted his girl's best interest for both her and himself. The jungle cat wasn't angry or cocky or anything, just happy rejecting the idea.

"I-"

"Please," Tiger interrupted as he pleaded to her. "Don't try that again unless I say so. Please." It was definitely awkward as the mood had definitely been killed, if there was one at all. Samantha was absolutely astonished. She thought the jungle cat would have welcomed the idea of having sex with open arms. Instead he immediately shot it down faster then he would have shoot down an enemy ship in a video game fight.

"I don't need sex right now Samantha." Tiger petted her hair as he ran his paw down to her spine and rubbed her back gently. "Just being with you makes me happy enough for now since I've wanted you to be mine for so long. When I'm ready, I'll let you know."

The snow leopard couldn't help but to smile in his muscled chest as she looked up to him. "Okay." The jungle cat brought her face up to look at him cupping it again as he closed up the space and planted his lips on her own. Samantha just slowly closed her eyes and followed him with their passionate kiss, forgetting about having sex all together. At least for now.

X

Tiger was back at his house the next day just wondering about what had happened with Samantha last night. It left him confused, but then again it had been popped out of the blue. Had it been the snow leopard's idea all along, or had someone put it up to her? There was also something else that he had to think about. Not too long before this incident the jungle cat and Mallory, his mother, had been taking about the relationship he had with the snow leopard.

"Tiger," said the mother jungle cat. "I can't seem to notice that you and Samantha seem to be getting more serious with each other."

"Well," said her son with a smile. "We've liked each other since we were kits. Feelings like that can only grow stronger when dating. In fact, I was thinking about proposing the idea to her about living together."

"That's sounds wonderful. But what are you waiting for?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You two have a career and everything; you should just make it official and get married."

Tiger's face went bright red and he spluttered a bit at the thought. After a few seconds he managed to speak. "Mother, it's only been over two years, not even three. That's a little too soon. I know from dad that you two dated for five years before getting hitched. Besides, she lives in an apartment. I live in a house that's only big enough for one person, maybe two even though it has a huge back yard. Samantha deservers a real house. Even with both of our jobs combined, we couldn't afford it. And as for a careers, we're not to the top yet. If we can do that, then we'll be set for the future. I think it would be best to wait a few more years at the most since I'm only 20. Marriage isn't something to take lightly; it brings a hell of a lot of responsibilities. I think you just want some grandchildren right now. Having kids is also something I'm not ready for." The two were silent after this speech.

"You're right," said Mallory after a few seconds. "I'm sorry; it's just that I'm so happy for you that I thought…" She trailed off.

"I understand," said her son. "Don't worry; it will happen in the future. I'm almost positive."

"_Moving in is something I should bring up with Samantha,_" thought Tiger who was back in the present. The question was how would the snow leopard take it? He shouldn't force her if she didn't want to. But would this bring up another chance to have sex? The jungle cat had made his objectives pretty clear on it. He didn't think his girlfriend would try it again unless he said so.

Samantha in the meantime had gone on birth control on a regular basis without Tiger's knowing. This was to be on the safe side just in case. The snow leopard was ready to have sex with him after thinking it over the next day. But until he was ready, she was just going to have to wait. In the meantime she should focus on her career and make her way to the top.

A bit latter the snow leopard had to end up comforting Rina since the hyena had broken up with her last boyfriend. It left her best friend heartbroken since she had been convinced he was the one. Unfortunately the wild dog didn't think it was working out. This was just a clean breakup with no cheating involved.

Then Tiger proposed the idea to his girlfriend about moving in together. At first she was surprised by this because Samantha had been thinking on the same lines. The jungle cat told her that she didn't have to say yes right away. She would be allowed to think it over. It was a big step in a relationship after all. But there was also another thing they had to discuss. This time with Rina, Sig, and Kivuli. It was plans for Tiger's 21st birthday. The group thought that it should be a special occasion held at the jungle cat's place since it had a huge backyard after all. Tiger asked Sig and Kivuli to have a DJ Station set up during the celebration while they controlled the music. The twins agreed to do so. They get it all arranged including who would be invited. Little did anyone know that it would be the best night for not only the jungle cat but Samantha as well.

X

Tiger's happy expression changed to sudden shock when he pulled up into his driveway. It looked like the party had already started. The one to celebrate his 21st birthday.

"Tiger!" He heard Samantha's voice as the snow leopard ran toward the driver's side and immediately opened the door to pull the jungle cat out. You could hear the rap-rock music coming from the backyard. "Come on; the party's just starting!"

"Alright, I'll be out in a minute; I gotta get a few things."

"Hurry up then!" She seemed more than happy after placing a kiss on his cheek and ran to meet up with Rina and waited for him by the backyard gate.

Tiger approached the two ladies carrying some drinks and stopped when he saw Samantha. She was wearing a pink tank top with strings that went around her neck to leave the back and bra exposed. She wore sandals because it was warm tonight along with shorts that didn't reach her knees.

"_My god… she's dressed to kill,_" thought Tiger. His snow leopard girlfriend noticed where his eyes were looking.

"How do I look?" she asked.

"Very beautiful," he responded, and went over to both females. "Nice to see you, Rina."

"Like wise," she responded.

"I hope this birthday party will be one you remember," said Samantha. "It is your 21st after all."

"I know," said the jungle cat. "Which reminds me; you're almost 21, right?"

"Yes; my birthday is next month."

"Then I don't think it would hurt if you had one of the drinks since you're close," said Tiger. "I plan on having one or two myself. But I want to make sure I don't get drunk and end up doing something stupid."

"Then I'll stay by you and we'll both watch each other's backs okay?" said Samantha.

"Sounds good," said the jungle cat, and the three species went in. The music got louder and there were lights and other species everywhere. Both non and part Cerinians. Tiger knew most of these people. Sure enough, the DJ station had been set up, and both Sig and Kivuli were there controlling the music.

"There he is!" someone shouted. Immediately, the three that had entered were surrounded by the large group. Tiger just grinned as Samantha hung on his right arm; pride on her face. Rina had a huge smile.

"The birthday guy has made it!" said Sig into the mike. "Let's show him the best night of his life!" The party then went up a notch.

X

Later on, Tiger and Samantha were taking a break from dancing with her on his lap. After eating the cake and some food, to finally opening his presents, the jungle cat and snow leopard had tried a couple of the drinks. They had stopped as they said they would, and found it annoying that people kept offering them more.

"No thank you," said Samantha what felt like the hundredth time to a random person. "I'm actually underage; I just wanted to try a couple as a test to see if I can handle alcohol." The same guy offered it to Tiger.

"I'll pass," he said. "Besides, I might throw up if I force that down. My stomach feels pretty full already from all the cake and food I've had. I'd hate for that to happen." The person understood and left the young couple alone.

"How's everyone doing tonight?" Kivuli asked into the mike and was met with a loud cheer from the beings; some drunk, others not at all. "Well I guess it's time to crank it up a notch!" The music rolled off slowly as the crowd got in tune with the song which was The Way I Are. Samantha got up from Tiger's lap and he lead her out to the dance floor. This was one of their favorites to grind dance to. Everyone broke out dancing whether they were aware of it or not. Samantha took Tiger's paws in her own and turned her back toward him, sliding up all the way so her backside was touching his frontal body. The snow leopard took their combined paws and planted them straight on her stomach. The lyrics began to play.

**I ain't got no money**

**I ain't got no car to take you on a date**

**I can't even buy you flowers**

**But together we can be the perfect soul mates**

**Talk to me girl**

**Oh, baby, it's alright now, you ain't gotta flaunt for me**

**If we go and touch, you can still touch my love, it's free**

**We can work without the perks just you and me**

**Thug it out 'til we get it right**

Tiger just casted his gaze down to Samantha as he and his girl continued to grind with each other. Suddenly he felt something that he'd never felt before. It was stronger than love for the snow leopard. He then realized it was lust for her. All of a sudden he wanted to please her so much more than what they were doing right now. He knew it wasn't the alcohol he had consumed that was making him feel this way; he was sober, like 90%. It was just his hormones and feelings for her acting up.

**Baby if you strip, you can get a tip**

**'Cause I like you just the way you are**

**(I'm about to strip and I'm well equipped**

**Can you handle me the way I are?)**

**I don't need the G's or the car keys**

**Boy I like you just the way you are**

**Let me see you strip, you can get a tip**

**'Cause I like, I like, I like**

**I ain't got no Disa**

**I ain't got no Red Cornerian Express**

**We can't go nowhere exotic**

**It don't matter 'cause I'm the one that loves you best**

**Talk to me girl**

Tiger kissed Samantha on the left side of her neck. He then playfully bit her on the same spot. The snow leopard felt this and her eyes widen in surprise. But a second latter, her eyes narrowed with playfulness, lust, and love. It was due to her feelings for her jungle cat boyfriend, not the alcohol that she had consumed, that was making her feel this way. The snow leopard, like Tiger, was sober as well for the most part. Samantha pressed her body even closer to his. She remembered what Tiger had said to her the first time she had tried to have sex with him. Now the snow leopard wondered if he was ready like she was.

**Oh, baby, it's alright now, you ain't gotta flaunt for me**

**If we go and touch, you can still touch my love, it's free**

**We can work without the perks just you and me**

**Thug it out 'til we get it right**

**Baby if you strip, you can get a tip**

**'Cause I like you just the way you are**

**(I'm about to strip and I'm well equipped**

**Can you handle me the way I are?)**

**I don't need the G's or the car keys**

**Boy I like you just the way you are**

**Let me see you strip, you can get a tip**

**'Cause I like you just the way you are**

The snow leopard took her left paw off of Tiger's and wrapped it around his neck, while turning her head sideways towards his muscled chest.

**Baby girl, I don't got a huge ol' house I rent a room in a house**

**Listen baby girl, I ain't got a motorboat but I can float your boat**

**So listen baby girl, once you get a dose of D.O.E. you're gonna want some more**

**So listen baby girl, when I make it I want you back, want you back, yeah**

The music came to an end only to quickly be replaced by another favorites of Tiger and Samantha's when it came to grinding. The song We Be Burning (Legalize It) came on.

**Just gimme di trees and mek we smoke it yo**

**(Smoke it yo)**

**It don't mek we please so don't provoke it yo**

**(Voke it yo)**

**We nuh need nuh speed so we nuh gon coke it yo**

**(Coke it yo)**

**Set we mind at ease we gotta take it slow**

**So when yuh see di S.P. floatin', don't provoke him**

**Cau di weed weh we smokin' need fi soakin'**

**Best ting fi di meditation**

**And di best hygrade a Belfino**

**When we a bun a weed we supportin' and promotin'**

**Lau di crack and di coke ting yeah we soakin'**

**Herb a di healin' of di places**

**Legalize it right now we wanna blaze one everyday**

Tiger moved his left paw further up, slowly scaling up her stomach until it met her left breast. Samantha could feel the jungle cat's hot breath on her neck as she breathed in the deep night air.

**We be burnin' not concernin' what nobody wanna say**

**We be earnin' money turnin'g cau we mind deh pon we pay**

**Some got gold and oil and diamonds all we got is Mary J**

**Legalize it, time you recognize it**

A small giggle followed by a moan of pleasure broke out from Samantha as her jungle cat boyfriend started groping her left breast playfully. She brought his other paw up to the other one and Tiger did the same thing with the right one.

**This purple haze it mek mi crazy**

**Mek mi write new tune yeah dat's what pays me**

**But I'm not di only occupation**

**Goin' to get some I give yuh education**

**When a farmer grows it he knows to close it**

**Economical benefit help fi those who a fi**

**Deh yah pon di hard jugglin'**

**Cau di system only keep guys strugglin'**

**Studyin' people a use it don't abuse it**

**Cau di concentration well reputed**

**Dat's why herb man dem a di wise one**

**And it found on di grave of King Dolomon**

**And it good fi di eye sight and di chest sight**

**And it give yuh nuff insight just gimme di light**

**And, mek we blaze it we should a neva waste it again **

Samantha then felt with her right paw and took a firm grasp on his cathood to counteract his gesture. She literally had him by the balls. Tiger let out a heavy moan and short breathes as he rested against her shoulder.

**We be burnin' not concernin' what nobody wanna say**

**We be earnin' money turnin' cau we mind deh pon we pay**

**Some got gold and oil and diamonds all we got is Mary J**

**Legalize it, time you recognize it**

Tiger realized that he couldn't hold himself back anymore. After this song, he had to get Samantha to his room.

**Just gimme di trees and mek we smoke it yo**

**(Smoke it yo)**

**It don't mek we please so don't provoke it yo**

**(Voke it yo)**

**We nuh need nuh speed so we nuh gon coke it yo**

**(Coke it yo)**

**Set we mind at ease we gotta take it slow**

**So when yuh see di S.P. floatin' don't provoke him**

**Cau di weed weh we smokin' need fi soakin'**

**Best ting fi di meditation**

**And di best hygrade a Belfino**

**Cau we know it as a great ting no debatin'**

**While dem incarceratin' true dem hatin'**

**Cau dem don't wanna see we a remain calm**

**Even though dem why not everyday**

Samantha was just waiting for the song to end so that she and Tiger could get to his room.

**We be burnin' not concernin' what nobody wanna say**

**We be earnin' money turnin' cau we mind deh pon we pay**

**Some got gold and oil and diamonds all we got is Mary J**

**Legalize it, time you recognize it**

**Again, we be burnin' not concernin' what nobody wanna say**

**We be earnin' money turnin' cau we mind deh pon we pay**

**Some got gold and oil and diamonds all we got is Mary J**

**Legalize it, time you recognize it**

**Again, we be burnin' not concernin' what nobody wanna say**

**We be earnin' money turnin' cau we mind deh pon we pay**

**Some got gold and oil and diamonds all we got is Mary J**

**Legalize it, time you recognize it**

**Just gimme di trees and mek we smoke it yo**

**(Smoke it yo)**

**It don't mek we please so don't provoke it yo**

**(Voke it yo)**

**We nuh need nuh speed so we nuh gon coke it yo**

**(Coke it yo)**

**Set we mind at ease we gotta take it slow**

As the song ended, Tiger and Samantha somehow tripped and fell onto the ground. Everyone's attention was diverted away from everything else towards the two young adults. The jungle cat got into the push-up position and somehow the snow leopard had flipped onto her backside right underneath of him. There was a slight gleam in her eyes as she locked gaze with the guy on top. She immediately pulled him toward the ground, toward her and locked lips with him, not caring whoever looked at them.

"Whoa now that's hot! How bout' it all! I'd say it's bedtime for these _two _party goers!" Sig said into the mike and everyone agreed. It was time for bed for the two young adults and everyone knew what it meant for them. Tiger leaned towards Samantha's ear after coming apart.

"Let's go to my room," he whispered.

"Okay then," she said as Tiger picked her up. Reaching inside for his power, the jungle cat put on a burst of speed, using the boost speed technique to get into his house. The sound of the music was drowned out and became background noise as the two lovers reached the jungle cat's room. He opened it, still carrying Samantha and went inside.

He placed the snow leopard down on the floor. She slipped out of her sandals, and walked slowly to the bed where two species could easily sleep in it comfortably. Meanwhile, Tiger locked the door behind them so they wouldn't be disturbed and clapped his paws together twice. The lights then went dim as he shrugged out of his shirt. Tiger then walked towards the bed. The was enough light for the two to clearly see each other. He saw her speared out in a sexy pose, just waiting for him.

Tiger stopped and placed a paw on the side of her face. "I'm sorry that it took so long, but I'm ready at last," he said. They both were fully aware what was going on. And they knew they weren't going to regret doing this at all.

"Good thing I've got a lot of patience," said Samantha, and took off her hair braid so that her long, grey hair flowed out. "I'm just glad that you're going to be my first lover." She wasn't nervous at all that tonight would be her first time. All she felt was lust and love for Tiger. And this time, unlike with Jason, it would feel right.

The jungle cat nodded, and opened a drawer on the bedside table right next to the snow leopard. Feeling around, he found what he was looking for. The jungle cat brought out a box of condoms, and began to open it. He had bought these two days before today in case something like this would happen. Samantha noticed this, and placed her paws on his, stopping the jungle cat.

"Tiger, those won't be necessary," she said. "I'm protected. I'm on the pill. And I took one before coming here." The snow leopard had also brought two pills with her for tomorrow as well to be extra safe.

"Oh; in that case then you're right," he said and tossed the box to a corner of the room. He found her lips and got on the bed. The warm, soft feeling of her body below him, of her mouth urging his to kiss her back and fight her tongue, of her paws pulling and scratching at his muscled chest and neck; it felt incredible as their paws explored the other's body for a few minutes.

Tiger then undid the strings of the snow leopard's shirt and put that to the side, revealing a pink bra. The jungle cat reached underneath her body and snapped the strands but didn't remove the fabric just yet.

"What kind of tricks and equipment do you have Tiger?" Samantha asked in a lust filled voice.

"You'll just have to find out for yourself." The snow leopard closed her eyes happily.

"Oh I _plan _to," she said as Tiger removed the bra to finally see Samantha's breast fully exposed. Her body was so beautiful.

The jungle cat began to explore her upper region, fiddling her tits and nipples with his paws. His playful pinches and squeezes received countless moans of pleasure and excitement from the snow leopard, which only ended up fueling her passion for him that much more.

The reaction would soon soften though, calming his body and allowing him to just let her go with it as he ran his tongue between her breasts, before finding her mouth again. Samantha reached for his fly and zipped it down. Unbuttoning his pants, she tugged them off and managed to get that article of clothing off the bed.

Tiger set out to return the favor to his girl. His paws wrapped around her backside, clenching her fur and releasing it a few times before slowly making their way down to the base of her tail. He then found her zipper, and pulled it down. His right paw went into the hole, felt her ass, before coming back around. He felt the slight bulge of her opening at the front, before going inside the ridge of her panties. He found her entrance, and with his middle finger, he slipped inside of her.

From below Tiger, Samantha's eyes opened and widened in surprise. Her back immediately arched in pleasure from the feeling, causing her to grind her hips against his own. She broke from his mouth to let out a lustful moan as the finger was playing inside her to pleasure the snow leopard. The area quickly became wet and warm.

After a few minutes, Tiger eased his paw free of its home, his middle finger hitting the sensitive area at the tip of her opening and caused the snow leopard to moan in ecstasy. Quickly, the jungle cat worked the button of her shorts free, allowing it to pop open and exposing the ridge of her body's last article of concealment. Then, looking up at her with an expression of absolute love, Tiger slowly took them off, now getting to admire the small pair of dark blue panties that didn't come anywhere close to hiding the wetness of the snow leopard's excitement that had ran down into them. He placed the shorts off the bed.

The two then reached for the other's reaming undergarments and took those off. After placing them to the side, they looked at their lover's full, naked bodies. Samantha broke the silence after a few moments.

"Now show me," she moaned. "Show me how much you love me like I will do to you." Tiger made no comment but lowered his head down towards her entrance to begin.


	43. Chapter 43

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 43: Remembering the Past; Part Five

The sunlight hit Tiger, causing him to stir. He suddenly felt something on his nude self. He glanced and saw Samantha; a smile was the only thing she wore. Her naked body was wrapped around him.

The jungle cat smiled and closed his eyes, remembering everything that had happened. It seemed to last for hours as they fucked each other in every position and type. Tiger hadn't been nervous at all for his first time. He then felt his girl stirring against his body.

"Good morning love," he said. Samantha opened her eyes. Her smile got wider as she raised herself up to look at Tiger.

"Morning," she said. "Last night, was perfect."

The jungle cat grinned and said, "If I'd known had great it would have been, I wouldn't have held that back for so long. I'm glad I did so that you could be my first lover. But now I need to ask you something. Will you move in with me?" Samantha looked at her boyfriend with a grin.

"I would love to," she said. "To be able to wake up with you by my side is all I want. I know you've got a good job. With mine combined with yours, we can offered to live together. We'll go and get my things and move in."

The two got off the bed and got ready for the day. The snow leopard quickly took both of the birth control pills she had brought with her while the two brushed their teeth. They walked out of the building while holding paws; completely alone. The two saw that the garbage from the party last night had been cleaned up. Tiger thought that somebody must have done so as another gift to him. Of course, having sex with Samantha probably was the best gift he had ever got.

It didn't take too long to get to the snow leopard's house and get all her things. After taking care of the leaving details, the two went back to the jungle cat's place. After breakfast, the two both took a shower together which ended up in another round of love making. Things couldn't get any better.

X

"So?" Rina asked that next morning while having coffee with her best friend. "How was it?"

Needless to say Samantha had tried to decline what they had done at first, but the longer she held the hyena's gaze the more she realized that it was no secret to Rina. She figured the signs had been there. The snow leopard figured that everyone knew.

"Okay fine," she had finally said, allowing blush to overtake her. "So we did it on that night and again in the shower."

"That's all there was?"

"What do you think?" Samantha answered; her face still red.

"And?"

"And what?"

"How was it?" Rina asked; her elbows on her knees as she looked up at her from the table. "How long did you guys hold out?"

"Rina!"

"Oh c'mon girl," the hyena insisted, a playful look in her eyes. "It's girl talk! We can have it you know? Just tell me now or I'll keep bugging you until you do."

The snow leopard knew her friend would hold true to her promise, as she always did. If anything, Rina was persistent.

"The first time it seemed to last for hours. As for the shower… about an hour I guess," Samantha finally murmured, still not really wanting to talk about it with anyone, even her best friend.

"Really?" Rina asked, surprise evident in her tone and causing the snow leopard to smile to herself and look away. "Damn. So I'm guessing…"

"Amazing," Samantha interrupted, finally answering the hyena's first question. "Both times were amazing."

And it just got better for her and Tiger as they continued to make love almost every chance they had. Then some major things happened. One of those things was seeing Nicholas McCoy graduating from his special school. After that, the two lovers stopped volunteering at that place to focus on their careers. The jungle cat managed to become the owner of his own bar; the same one that Star Flight would visit in the future some time after his birthday. He then offered Sig and Kivuli jobs at the place. The twins said they would worked there because after Tiger's birthday they had lost their jobs since they along with several other employees had to be laid off.

This continued for the next two years until Star Flight would come back. During that time Samantha managed to become the owner of the flower shop she worked at. Six months after that, the snow leopard and jungle cat managed to buy the current house that they now lived in. Then some time during the second year he proposed to her. Then they would see Nicholas again along with the rest of the Star Flight members.

X

Back in the present, Tiger and Samantha finished up their story. When they got to the sex part, they only said that they had made love. But only they knew the true details.

"Now I can begin to understand why this Jason person is on Shade's side," said Sig. "It makes sense now."

"It just goes to show you don't know how people are going to turn out," said his brother.

"I'm just glad that their children aren't here to hear this," said Kivuli's girlfriend named Jackie. "They shouldn't have to yet."

"I agree with you," said Sig's girl named Candice.

"So what about you?" asked Rina's hyena boyfriend named Drake to Nicholas. "What's your story?"

"Before I tell anything, I think everyone should take a break since Tiger and Samantha have been talking for awhile," said the vulpine. "It would be better if you do." With that, the large group left for a bit. The jungle cat and snow leopard went to visit their children who were being looked after by some of the servants in the castle.

Ten minutes later, everyone was once again assembled. Nicholas then spoke up. "Now then, make sure you get comfortable. My story is almost as long as the other two. Once I get started, I'm not going to be able to stop until it's fully told. So try to refrain from asking questions unless it's unbearably urgent. Now I'll tell everything I know, including what happened, and how I gained Hiita's Rage."

"So how did it all begin?" asked the raven named Chad that Bryn had met at her brother's wedding. The two were a couple by this point.

"I'll start by explaining how I met Cody and Ben," said the vulpine. His first sentience was halting, but his voice gained strength and confidence as Nicholas continued to speak. "I met those two during the first grade. We immediately hit it off, and decided to be friends. However, the real story began in the 3rd grade. And it all began with a rescue." He to then began a summarized version of his past, but everything that had happened started to go through his mind.


	44. Chapter 44

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 44: Meeting and Hook up

It was during the first day of the third grade and Nicholas had just walked into his classroom. The vulpine knew where it was with no problem. He immediately spotted Cody and Ben and went over to the two kids. At this age, the fox's hair was only a buzz cut; but in time it would get longer.

"I can't believe were in the same class again!" Nicholas exclaimed. The three boys had shared the same school room in the second grade as well.

"This is going to be fun!" said Cody.

"I can't wait for this year," Ben said.

"So who else is in the class?" asked Nicholas. "Do we have any new students?"

"I see some kids I recognize," said Cody. "Some I don't know. But there is one new student here I haven't seen at all before."

"Which one?" asked the young vulpine.

"That girl over there," said the young black otter and pointed out a young vixen sitting at a desk. She had short, black hair that had purple highlights in it that went to the shoulders. Her arms and tail could be seen and the color of the fur was light brown. It was a younger Sakura. Her back was toward the three boys so they couldn't see any of her other features. Suddenly the teacher called the children's attention so she could begin to teach.

No interaction would take place between Nicholas and this new girl until recess. Later on during the day, after the vulpine and his two friends finished their lunches they rushed out to the playground. The three started a game with a ball. At one point Ben somehow kicked the object high and away from them.

"Oh nice man," said Cody sarcastically. He was the one who had passed the ball to the hare.

"You threw it!" Ben shot back.

"I'll get it!" said Nicholas and used his speed booster technique to go after the object. His friends were used to the fact that he had special powers. It didn't bother them at all.

The young vulpine was already showing talents in this power that part Cerinians had. Soon it would be made clear just how talented he was. Even with it, he had to go quite a distance; Ben did have powerful legs after all. Nicholas managed to get the ball near the sand box. After picking up the object, the fox looked up to see someone playing in the sand.

It was the new girl, the same one that had been pointed out to Nicholas. Now he could see more of her features. She had light blue colored eyes. The face was also the same light brown as the tail and arms. The young vixen finished constructing a tower on her sand castle that she was building and smiled; one that was so sweat. The young vulpine without realizing it was staring at her. She hadn't noticed him yet.

A moment later, a group of boys stepped right onto her tower. She looked up to see a small group consisting of an avian, a bull dog, a frilled lizard, and a feline. The vixen gave them a sad look.

"You can't play here," said the avian, obviously the leader.

"Why not?"

"Because this is our sandbox, and we don't like girls here," said the bull dog. They pushed her down to her front side, and wrecked her sand castle. The vixen felt a few tears forming in her eyes.

Suddenly the feline grabbed the vixen's hair. "Hey new girl!" he laughed. "Why's your hair this ugly purple and black?" The girl let out a squeal as he yanked hard on her hair, smiling viciously. "Did your mom have an affair with some ugly guy?" The other boys guffawed and the girl tried to scream, but the bull dog clamped a paw over her muzzle.

Nicholas was horrified at their treatment of the little vixen, who he thought had pretty hair. It wasn't ugly at all. He clenched his paws into fists at his sides. He had to do something! Taking a deep breath, the vulpine bellowed: "Hey! Leave her alone!" The group turned to see him.

The group of older boys turned their gazes on him, regarding him menacingly. "Get lost, kid!" the avian shouted at the vulpine. "We're busy! Just mind your own business, if you know what's good for you."

Nicholas stood his ground. "Let her go!" he said deliberately.

The bird glared at the smaller vulpine. "And why should we?"

"Cause you can't pick around a girl like that! It's not nice! What did she ever do to you?" They all began laughing at the small vulpine. They were taller than him.

"Or what if we don't?" asked the avian.

Nicholas swallowed before answering. "Or, you'll have to deal with me!" he stated defiantly. This evoked an even louder guffaw from the members of the gang.

"You?" The bird asked. "How're you gonna take all of us?"

The vulpine searched for a witty retort and answered. "With my paws tied behind my back!" The gang laughed even harder, two doubling over. They let go of the vixen.

"Funny, tough guy!" the avian laughed. "Now get lost! I'm gonna bust a gut!" The avian's laughing paused for a moment as he said: "Probably yours!" The laughing redoubled as the group of older boys enjoyed their leader's joke.

Nicholas noticed that the bird, though taller, was on the fat side. He quickly responded back. "At least I'm not a coward who had to gang up on somebody, fatso!" The area went silent. The vulpine didn't know that this boy was very sensitive about his weight and took extreme offense at those kinds of statements. His eyes got an angry look and slowly approached the vulpine

"Excuse me?!" the avian snarled. "Would you care to repeat that in my ear?!" The avian bent down, and cupped his hand to where an ear would be. "Just one more time?!"

Nicholas's nerve began to fail him and he considered to run, but then his eyes fell on the young vixen again. Her eyes were terrified, and the pupils dilated. They caught his own visage and practically screamed: "Help me!" Nicholas felt his resolve stiffen, and double in force.

"You heard me," he said. The avian swung a fist at him, and the quick fox dodged it. Spinning around he managed to grab the avian's shirt collar, and brought him down to meet his gaze. He glared his opponent down.

"You want to try me? Let's go," said Nicholas. He pushed the avian, making him trip over the sandbox guard, falling down to the ground.

The leader quickly got up and aimed a punch again, but Nicholas was quicker. He squared his shoulders and in a single movement, the vulpine brought his arm up and punched the older bird squarely in the nose. The hard beak clacked against his paw, and the boy fell backward from the force of Nicholas's attack. There was a gasp of astonishment from the rest of the gang, to see their leader go down.

The vulpine was thankful to his dad who had begun not only to teach him on how to control his power, but also some hand to hand combat. Although it wasn't near his level, it would work for these guys.

"Why you!" shouted the avian and charged again with another punch. This time, the vulpine grabbed it and using the momentum, got him on the ground using a move that was very similar to an Aikido fighting style technique. Nicholas then took the opportunity to kick the boy in the groin. He yowled in pain and clutched his still developing genitals, as the vulpine began his onslaught of the other three.

The boys put up their arms in a feeble guard which Nicholas broke through in no time, punching one in the stomach and kicking the other backward onto the ground. He was about to deliver a flurry of punches to the last one when a great weight was suddenly on his back, trying to drag him to the ground, and choking the vulpine. The avian had somehow recovered fast and had his arms wrapped around Nicholas's neck. "I've got him, boys!" he yelled thickly through the pain and the blood that had begun to come from his nose.

"You're mistake," said the vulpine and reached for his power to use the speed booster technique. He jumped up and carried the surprised boy with him. With a flip, the avian landed on his back. Before the others could respond, Nicholas managed to use the same technique to get them on the ground.

The four began to stir and looked up to see the vulpine regard them with a cold look. "If you want to continue this, fine. But know that you're no match for me. Take a look." He pulled up his right shirt sleeve to reveal the spiral tattoo on his arm. The four boys realized what it was.

"He's one of them," whispered the avian, his voice trembling with fear. "Let's get out of here!" The four ran for it.

Nicholas let out a breath and then turned his attention to the little vixen, still lying in the sand. "Are you okay?" he asked.

She was speechless, of how this little vulpine saved her from out of nowhere. And the way he fought had been amazing. "Yeah. Are you alright?"

"Nothing I can't handle," said the vulpine. He offered her a gentle paw and a warming smile. The vixen happily grabbed his paw, and blushed a little; she never have grabbed a boy's paw before. And now looking closer at this one, she thought he looked cute.

Nicholas on the other hand also took a closer look at her. It wasn't just her hair that was pretty, this girl was too in general. But the vulpine then shrugged off the thought. He then looked down to her destroyed sand castle.

"Sorry about your sand castle, we can build it again if you want." The vixen's face lit up. She happily shook her head in a nod, and the two began making it again. All of a sudden Ben and Cody walked up to the two.

"Jeez Nicholas," said the otter. "What's taking you so l-" His sentience got cut off as he saw the scene before him. "What's going on here?" The two foxes looked up.

"Sorry about that," said his friend. "But there were four boys picking on her. I ended up saving her." Ben and Cody looked and saw it was the new girl.

"Is that true?" asked the hare.

"Yes and thank you for doing so," she said to the vulpine. "Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

"You can tell me your name. What is it?" he asked.

"I'm Sakura Hinta."

"I'm Nicholas McCoy." The two shock paws. "These two guys are Cody Otter and Ben Speedo."

"Nice to meet you," said the hare.

"So is this something that I should leave so you two can be along?" asked the otter in a teasing voice.

Sakura let out an exasperated huff before responding. "Shut up you idiot."

"Oh. New girl's got an attitude!" said Cody with a grin.

The vixen glared at him before turning to Nicholas. "Just let me know if I can ever do anything for you."

"Well you could be a friend of mine," he said. She gave him a dazzling smile.

"Okay then," said Sakura. All of a sudden the ending lunch bell sounded and the four walked back to the school. As they were doing so, the vixen turned her head to the vulpine.

"So you've got it to, huh?" This made the other three boys stop.

"What are you talking about?" asked Nicholas.

"That special power. The one that makes you different. Do you have that mark on your arm?"

"Yeah," said the vulpine, and showed it. "Wait… Don't tell me…"

"Yes," said Sakura. "I've got it to." She lifter up her right shirt sleeve and the three boys saw the line tattoo on it. They knew in that instant this girl was one of the special species. The four were too young to know the term part Cerinian. So they referred to it in other ways.

"Then we've got more in common than before," said the vulpine. "But if you had the power, than why didn't you use the ability to move faster?"

"I haven't fully gotten it down yet," whispered the vixen. "And I was scared…"

"It's alright," said Nicholas. "I'll help you learn it if you want."

"Thanks. I can tell this is going to be fun."

X

Sakura quickly became a friend to all three boys. But she ended up developing a special bond with Nicholas. This continued even after the two foxes turned 12 years old. The group knew that since Ben and Cody weren't part Cerinians, they wouldn't go to the same school anymore. But that didn't stop them from having a relationship.

Then at the age of 13, both Nicholas and Sakura got their Cerinian weapons. The vulpine's was the same as it would be years later and gave it the nickname, Fists of Cerinia. The vixen ended up getting a different weapon, but she didn't give it a nickname. It was a sickle with a long white handle. The lines were on the handle and had two rubies on it; one at the top and one on the bottom. The blade was golden in color. As for their special energy beam techniques, those would be developed during their freshman year of high school.

During this time the two had begun to develop feelings for each other. However, they instead tried going out with other people to get an idea of how the game worked. Although those relationships didn't last long, it gave the two experience. However, some major events were about to take place. And it all began at the beginning of Nicholas's and Sakura's sophomore year at their special school.

X

The two met up right before school started on a Monday morning. This had become their routine ever since they started going to this place.

"Good morning," said Sakura to Nicholas as he walked up to her.

"Morning. Ready for the torment to begin?" The vixen giggled.

"You don't really mean it," she said in a teasing voice. The two then went over their schedules. As it turned out, they had four of the same classes together, not counting history. This was because when it came to that subject, all the students learned it together because it taught them the history of their race.

"Let's get going," said the vulpine. "We don't want to be late." The two then walked to their first class which was English. The two got a lot of looks; but it wasn't a surprise. The foxes were some of the best looking, brightest, and most talented in the school. But then again, Nicholas's brother Lucas, Mitch, Sarah, and Brooke were getting to that point. Those four were also attending the same school as the older part Cerinians. In time, Reed and Hikari would also join with them.

The foxes made it to the class room and took their seats. The two than began to talk amongst friends they had in the class. A few minutes later, the teacher came in, followed by a 19 year old Tiger and Samantha. Everyone stopped talking as they saw the jungle cat and snow leopard. The girls couldn't help but think he was so handsome.

"Good morning class," said the teacher, a male gecko. "We'll be joined by Tiger Bie and Samantha Vale. They will offer their time to help me and the other teachers teach."

"Nice to meet you," said Samantha. "I hope we have fun this year. If so, then me and Tiger might come back next year."

"Now then Tiger," said the gecko teacher. "Would you like to tell the class what the plan is for today?" The jungle cat nodded.

"Now then," he said. "Since it is the first day, we won't assign homework." He waited for the class to let out a small cheer before continuing. "So instead, we will-" Tiger stopped as he noticed a group of girls laughing and speaking quietly, looking at him cutely. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but the jungle cat had a good idea of what they were talking about. He just rolled his eyes.

"Ladies!" he called out to them. Immediately the three girls stopped and gave him their attention. One was a wolf, the other a border collie, and the last a lynx.

"Sir!" they all said.

"Would you like to tell the class what is it you were just talking about?" All three of them just stuttered, trying to decide who should talk to their jungle cat instructor. The young wolf spook up for the three students in a nervous tone.

"Uh, with all due respect Mr. Bie, sir. We would like to keep that information classified." Tiger moved from the teacher's desk and walked over to the group of ladies, his paws behind his back.

"Oh come now, don't be shy. Please tell the class what is it you were talking about that was important enough to interrupt my lecture. Oh and do please stick to the truth; if you're caught lying to your instructor, I'll make this entire class run a dozen laps for it. So what was it you were talking about Miss Katie?" He looked over to the young Border collie. "Or Miss Dupree, maybe you would like to explain to the class, after all. You're the one who started the conversation, where you not?" The jungle cat knew their names because he had seen the class schedule from the gecko teacher before entering. Each name had a picture, so Tiger knew who they were.

Dupree just stuttered and looked around the room, all eyes were on her. She just took a deep breath, and began speaking. As she finished her sentence, her voice went quieter and higher pitched.

"Ummm, we were just talking about, how _handsome_ you looked this morning Mr. Bie, sir?" The entire class was laughing at the young Border collie, she just re sat in her seat, head down.

"Right." Tiger headed back to the desk, and turned to face the class again, looking over to the group of girls. "Ladies, please keep your eyes to what I'm saying, and _not_ to me, you're personal feelings must stay in check." They all just kept quiet and listened in on him, while a few of the other students were quietly laughing.

"I suggest you stick with kids your own age; I'm 19 after all," said the jungle cat. "Besides, I'm already taken." His gaze went to Samantha, and she nodded back. The class knew in that instant that the two were going out.

The rest of the class continued without incident. Nicholas however, couldn't help but look at Tiger and Samantha during this time period occasionally. There was something he couldn't put his finger on. Yet for some reason, the vulpine thought that these two would end up playing a major part in his life.

Nicholas and Sakura left the class talking about those two. "What do you think of Mr. Bie and Miss Vale?" asked the vulpine.

"I like them," said the vixen. "I hope they come back next year."

"A lot can happen. It's only the beginning of this one. But I also hope so like you."

Three weeks latter another big event would happen to Nicholas. It was the day that Hui-Ying, Jazerc, Kralie, and Saria transferred to the vulpine's special school and would stay until graduation. It all started as a normal day in the English class that Nicholas and Sakura had. Their gecko teacher was sick, so Tiger and Samantha were the instructors for the day.

"Okay, today we have four new transfer students who will be joining us," said the jungle cat. He then called out through the open door. "You guys can come in." The new students came in and it was a younger Hui-Ying, Jazerc, Kralie, and Saria. The others, including Nicholas and Sakura regarded them. They knew automatically that the new comers were part Cerinians since only those kinds of species went to these types of schools.

"Now why don't you introduce yourself?" asked Samantha. They did so. "Make sure they feel welcomed," said the snow leopard. Nothing too big would happen until it came time for gym. This was where all part Cerinians would practice combat, even with their Cerinian weapons against each other. But it was done so nobody would get hurt too bad.

"Okay then," said the gym teacher. "Let's have Nicholas McCoy and Hui-Ying Yao up." Everyone started to talk. The vulpine was one of the best. And one of the transfer students was going against him. The panda wouldn't stand a chance.

"Alright then," said the vulpine, who stepped into the middle. "I look forward to it." Hui-Ying did the same. The two brought out their Cerinian weapons. Nicholas raised an eye brow when he saw hers.

"Interesting," he said. "I assume then you know some things about hand to hand combat."

"I do," said the panda. "Just like I can tell with you."

The instructor rang the bell, and the two started circling each other. "I wonder though…" said Hui-Ying.

"Wonder what?" asked the vulpine.

"It's just that you're shorter than me. Are you sure that you can reach my collar?" This made her opponent flick his ears in annoyance. Everyone else was silent. The two then charged at each other. The panda quickly realized that her opponent was so solid. The next thing she knew, Nicholas had gotten her on the ground. The others were shocked; this fight hadn't lasted that long.

"_What the hell was that?!_" thought Hui-Ying. "_He's better than I thought!_"

"Don't talk big until you can land a hit," said Nicholas. He then smirked. "Although you're taller than me, I don't see you brining me down any time soon; bitch." Everyone let out a gasp of shock. The panda snapped as a pissed off mark seemed to appear on her forehead.

"Okay," she whispered. "That's how you want it, huh?" She jumped up using her paws and got the fox with both of her legs which sent him down. Everyone gasped again as Hui-Ying stood up. "You got your wish," she said. "Anything else you want to say?"

"Alright…" said Nicholas dangerously. "Is that how you want to play?" He suddenly used the speed booster technique and had the panda pinned.

"You cheap bastard!" she yelled.

"It's your fault that you fell for it so easily," said the vulpine. He then turned to the teacher. "Quick! Start the countdown!"

"I don't believe this," said Jazerc. "He took Hui-Ying down like it was nothing." The teacher stopped at ten and the fight was over. Nicholas let go of her and the two stood up.

"Listen," said the panda. "Don't get over cocky. You just got lucky. I will take you down!"

"Interesting," said Nicholas. "Well I won't let you win!"

The air was filled with tension; everyone could sense it. That was the day the rivalry between the two started. Every day they tried to prove who the better fighter was. But Nicholas got along well with the other three transfer students.

Another rivalry would develop and that was between him and Pecker. How this happened was that on a request from their parents, he along with his sister would visit the school that the vulpine attended. Sometimes Celestia would come along for the ride. But only a few times. The bird and fox would fight what seemed to be constantly since they couldn't see eye to eye.

However, the biggest change for both Nicholas and Sakura was that during their sophomore year, they would go out.

X

The vulpine had been taking the vixen out on outings (he called them that since he didn't view these as dates). Everyone else saw it differently. Sakura didn't care what other people called it. One night during the middle of the school year, Nicholas was dropping her off at her house. The vulpine knew how to drive a car by this point. The two were at her front door.

"Thank you for such a wonderful time," said the vixen. "I had a lot of fun."

"Yeah, I did to," he said. The two could feel butterflies forming in the stomachs and the blush that was coming on their muzzles. They didn't say anything for a minute.

"Is something wrong?" asked Sakura, placing a paw on his strong arm. Nicholas looked at her, the light of the porch light they were standing under was reflecting off of her eyes making them look so much more beautiful than before. The vulpine then decided to go with it. He took her paws in his.

"Nicholas?" she asked as her heart went into overtime.

"Sakura," he began. "There's something I've wanted to tell you for awhile now."

"What is it?" the vixen whispered.

"Do you remember the day we met?"

"Of course I do. It was the start of our friendship."

"Yes. But now I want it to be more since I view you differently."

"Wait…" said Sakura. "Do you mean…?"

"Yes," said Nicholas. "I love you." And with that the vulpine kissed the vixen on the mouth. She immediately wrapped her arms around him, bring the guy in tighter. The kiss lasted for a minute and the two young part Cerinians came apart; their eyes glinting with love for each other.

"What do you say?" asked Nicholas with a grin.

"I love you to," said Sakura and kissed him again.

"Then; will you go out with me?"

"I will." The two then shared another kiss, their first one as officially being boyfriend and girlfriend. Things seemed perfect in their lives. But soon, it would end.


	45. Chapter 45

Star Flight Adventures

Chapter 45: Lost

The rest of the sophomore year passed by for Nicholas and Sakura as if it was a dream. The two foxes were so happy to be with each other after so long. Nobody gave them a hard time about it. The other males and females knew that only these part Cerinians were perfect for each other. Ben and Cody had continued their friendship with the two foxes and even had their own girlfriends. Nicholas and Sakura met them and also formed a friendship with them as well.

The vulpine and Hui-Ying continued their rivalry and the same went with Pecker. The three ended up also clashing during the summer months when the tournament occurred. Although they didn't win the whole thing, they ended up having to fight against each other.

The next school year came around bringing new surprises. Although Nicholas was eager to resume the rivalry against Hui-Ying, she actually told him that fighting wasn't a good idea. The reason would be told to the vulpine latter. So instead, the vulpine focused his efforts on besting Pecker. His hair had grown out even more and would soon be the current length it was now.

It was also during this time that Nicholas, Sakura, Cody, Ben, Lucas, and Mitch actually formed a band. What happened was that the younger vulpine had begun to take up the drums, while Mitch did so for the guitar along with Ben. Cody on the other hand went for the upright bass and Nicholas took up the regular bass. Sakura however already knew how to play the piano and went for the electric keyboard. It was during this time that Nicholas, Ben, and Cody discovered they had really good singing voices. So did the vixen. It wasn't until the middle of the junior year that the group actually performed for the entire special school that the two part Cerinians attended.

They played at an event were other bands performed. Nicholas's group started out their performance by first doing a song that they had come up with. It had no lyrics, only music in it and if you were to listen to it, it sounded very close to Near's theme from the Death Note anime from out world. After that, they went on to perform regular songs. Tiger along with Samantha attended the event to hear this group play. Nicholas, Ben, and Cody would keep their instruments and continue to practice years down the road until a new band would be formed by them and the members of the future Star Flight team.

Nicholas and Sakura enjoyed being a couple and even went to the dances that were offered. But then something would happen that would change everything.

X

It all began during the middle of the junior year after the band event. The vulpine and vixen were out on a nightly walk in a wooded area with a cliff on their right. They were unaware that not only storm clouds had begun to gather, but that someone was watching them. It was Shade with another probing droid. The evil coyote needed only one more part Cerinian until he was ready. He had been watching these two since they had potential. However, the storm that was about to hit was only an act of nature. Shade didn't cause it at all.

"Hey do you notice how the wind seems to be stronger?" asked Sakura to Nicholas as she noticed the change in it.

"Yeah. We'd better get home quickly." All of a sudden lighting flashed out from above the trees making the night bright as day. Then thunder was heard before the clouds opened to let out a downpour.

"I can't see anything!" the vulpine complained as the rain fell.

"Never mind that! Run for it!" said the vixen. The two part Cerinians ran trying to get out of the forest and back to their houses. All of a sudden a huge bolt of lightning hit one of the trees. The tree began to fall towards the two foxes.

"Nicholas look out!" shouted Sakura pushing him out of the way. Time seemed to stop and the heavy object crashed right where they had been standing. The vulpine went back a foot from the force of the blast. For a couple of seconds, he didn't move. He then got up with a groan. Nicholas shock his head to clear it and sent water flying from his hair. The vulpine seemed alright except for the mud on him. He then looked around in panic, not seeing Sakura.

"Sakura!" he yelled. A rumble of thunder followed his cry. Then he heard her.

"Help me!" Nicholas rushed over to the sound of her voice. What he saw made his heart sink. The vixen was hanging on for dear life on the trunk that had fallen; using her Cerinian weapon and paw. It was over the cliff edge.

"Sakura! Hold on; I'm coming!" shouted her vulpine boyfriend.

"Hurry!" Nicholas made his way over to the trunk. Suddenly it began to slide a bit forward.

"No!" he shouted. "Fists of Cerinia!" His weapon came out with the claws out. Sakura's eyes were wide with fear. Nicholas managed to make it to her.

"Quick! Grab my paw!" His vixen girlfriend slowly made her way over. But just as she was able to make it, the trunk moved and fell over the edge, taking her with it.

"NICHOLAS!" she screamed as the vixen fell down the 60 foot drop.

"SAKURA!" he yelled as his paw grasped empty air, watching hopelessly as he couldn't do anything but to see her fall. The vixen vanished from his sight and then he heard the sicken sound of her impact down below. Nicholas reached with his mind to sense her, but didn't find anything. It meant his girlfriend was dead.

The vulpine let out a heart wrenching cry of pain and lost that was long as the rain continued to fall hard. He didn't care about that anymore. Nicholas had just lost the love of his life. Why had this happen? What cruel joke was being played on him? How could Sakura loose her life like this? It wasn't fair.

What he didn't know was that as soon as Sakura had fallen, Shade had moved. Immediately after she stopped falling, the coyote had grabbed her, her Cerinian weapon, and used his speed booster technique to quickly get away and out of Nicholas's mind reading range. He had the last one that he needed and would bend the vixen to his will. Everything was ready.

Nicholas was found still staring at the spot by some others. When they tried to move him, the vulpine lashed out. Suddenly the ground rose up to meet the part Cerinian and he was knocked out. The next thing he knew, the vulpine was in his bed at his house.

Nicholas suddenly remembered what happened which brought on another round of crying. In the days that followed the vulpine listened and searched; doing everything he could to find Sakura. Especially since a body hadn't been found. But three months later, he had to admit that the vixen wasn't coming back and was dead. Nicholas spent the next months without a relationship in depression. He visited the site every day and talked about the times he had shared with Sakura and how he felt. Slowly, the vulpine recovered. But then another big surprise would be thrown at him. And this would end up changing his life.


End file.
